Gestalt school of thought viewed human behaviour and mind as a complete whole. The term Gestalt means totality, Structure, Figure or Unity. Gestalt school of thought came into inception during early 20th century in Germany in the famous work of “The Attributes of Form” by the Australian Philosopher Christian von Ehrenfels. Gestalt psychology is based on the principle that “The whole is different than the sum of its parts”. This study has major contributions in explaining the complex processes of perception and sensation, with major emphasis on the fact that human minds perceive objects or make sense of the world around them by viewing things in totality or from a holistic perspective. Show
History of Gestalt PsychologyGestalt psychology originated in the works of Max Wertheimer which was in response to the structuralism approach propounded by Wilhelm Wundt. The gestalt psychologists analyzed the behaviour pattern and mind in totality. Wundt, on the other hand, considered the psychological parameters in parts. Let’s analyze the major contributions of these Gestalt psychologists on a one by one basis: Max Wertheimer: He is one of the three founding members of Gestalt school of thought and is famous for his phi phenomenon concept, which involved perceiving still images in rapid succession which created illusion about movement. Kurt Koffka: As one of the key founding members of Gestalt psychology, he researched on diverse topics related to the field of psychology with focus on perception, learning and hearing disabilities. Wolfgang Kohler: As one of the crucial founding members of Gestalt school of thought, it was he who explained the Gestalt theory in a nutshell by describing that “The whole is different than the sum of its parts”. He was known for his research insights on problem solving. Characteristics of Gestalt Theory
Gestalt Laws of Perceptual OrganizationThe Gestalt psychologists have attempted to explain various laws of perception like laws of Pragnanz, Similarity, Proximity, Closure and Continuity. Their belief that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts has resulted in the discovery of various processes or phenomena that take place during perception.
The Gestalt psychology equally stressed on the fact that perception is not all about how we interpret the worldly events by seeing the realities, but what we actually perceive is under the influence of our expectations and motivation. Applications of Gestalt Theory
Strengths and Limitations of Gestalt ApproachOne of the greatest strengths of this approach is its applicability in the day to day life and simplicity of its ideas. The theory provides us a better understanding on how we interpret and perceive the realities or make sense of the world around us in the light of perception. Moreover, their suggestions on creative problem solving and productive thinking and the inputs shared by them in Gestalt therapies related to promoting personal growth are true value additions. However, the Gestalt theory is also not free from various criticisms. The theory has been criticized for being too individualistic, which may encourage selfish behaviour on the part of the individuals. They give more importance to understanding oneself first before understanding others. Secondly, some of the critics considered the laws of perceptual organization to be unscientific, ambiguous and vague lacking practical relevance. Authorship/Referencing - About the Author(s)The article is Written By “Prachi Juneja” and Reviewed By Management Study Guide Content Team. MSG Content Team comprises experienced Faculty Member, Professionals and Subject Matter Experts. We are a ISO 2001:2015 Certified Education Provider. To Know more, click on About Us. The use of this material is free for learning and education purpose. Please reference authorship of content used, including link(s) to ManagementStudyGuide.com and the content page url. What school of psychology believed that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts?A core belief in Gestalt psychology is holism, or that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. 1 This school of psychology has played a major role in the modern development of the study of human sensation and perception.
What is Gestalt approach in psychology?Gestalt psychology is a school of thought that seeks to understand how the human brain perceives experiences. It suggests that structures, perceived as a whole, have specific properties that are different from the sum of their individual parts.
What theory is based on the assumption that the whole is more than the sum of its parts?Systems theory is an interdisciplinary study of systemsExternal link:open_in_new as they relate to one another within a larger, more complex system. The key concept of systems theory, regardless of which discipline it's being applied to, is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
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