A Gestalt psychology is one of the most popular theories or psychological currents within the world of psychology. But what is it about?

Gestalt psychology has philosophical roots and fits into the framework of humanistic psychology, but it has some peculiarities that we will comment on below.

Meaning

The word Gestalt comes from the German language and has no direct equivalent in English. However, it generally translates into the way things are placed or put together as a whole.

In the field of psychology, Gestalt is best described as a pattern or configuration. In this context, Gestalt encompasses the human mind and behavior as a whole.

Definition

Gestalt psychology is a current that is based on the study of perception where a person classifies his perceptions as a whole and not just as the sum of the parts. Gestalt theory highlights the mental representations that we humans create and brings together perceptions through which we are exposed.

In this way, images, sounds, memories, all influence our way of behaving and seeing life, creating a series of figures or shapes in our mind to explain certain sets of data.

Gestalt Psychology Notes

Etymology

Speaking from etymology, there is no exact translation for the word "Gestalt". We can say that some of its interpretations can be "form", "figure" or "structure". However, it has a connotation as "configurational structure".

Featured Authors and History

Gestalt theory had its origins in Germany in the early 20th century. This theory is based on the work of Max Wertheimer, a disciple of Wundt, who founded his theory as a response to his mentor's structuralism and Watson's behaviorism.

While Wundt focused on dividing psychological questions, Wertheimer and the other founders of Gestalt thought of the mind as a whole, hence the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

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The origin of Gestalt was the product of the observations of Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka. Max Wertheimer proposed the concept of the Phi phenomenon, in which one sees how a sequence of flashing lights gives the illusion of constant motion. This is called "apparent motion".

Other thinkers, such as Immanuel Kant, Ernst Mach, and Johann Wolfgang, were able to further develop this aspect of psychology. An example of apparent motion is the frames we see in animated movies, which give us the illusion of movement of the characters.

Basic principles and examples of Gestalt theory

The Gestalt Theory seeks to explain human perception and the way we make decisions based on how we perceive things in our mind. Taking this theory into consideration, we can say that its considerations are that the perception we have of shapes, are configured through the sum of the pieces of image, touch, sound, and memory.

Therefore, all this information creates our mental representations. However, this theory is against the argument of a "perceptual whole" that is created from the information that comes to us. But rather a sum of several parts that is made up of the data from our senses and memory, forming a whole picture.

Gestalt Laws

Pragnanz's Law

It states that the brain tends to organize elements as simply as possible. The brain performs a quick synthesis that aims to simplify what we see, since we cannot waste time analyzing everything around us.

Figure-Background Law

This states that a person cannot interpret an object as both figure and background at the same time. A clear example of this is the Rubin cup, where it is impossible to capture the faces and the cup at the same time.

Proximity Law

In this Law, the elements closest to each other represent a single block according to our perception. An example is when we look at 3 stacks of books and instead of appreciating each one separately, we see each group as a single block.

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Read Also: Gestalt Laws: 8 laws of the psychology of form

Law of similarity

Similar figures appear to have an identical one, an example of this is trees that have unique shapes but associate in identical ways.

Law of common destiny

This law shows that when several objects move in the same direction, they are seen as a set.

Closing Law

We tend to close contours that are not actually closed. An example is when we see a curved line that is almost closed, but has an opening, yet the brain assumes it to be a circumference.

Law of good continuation

The brain prefers to ignore these sudden changes in the images we observe. An example is when we see a poster with a text, covered by a post. But we can understand it even if this fragment doesn't appear.

Gestalt therapy

The goal of Gestalt-therapy is to help patients understand what they feel, think, say and do, aligning everything and finding solutions to their problems. It is part of the humanistic approach and its fundamental principles are listed in the following topics.

• Know yourself: through introspection of ourselves we will be able to identify the reasons why we react, feel and behave in a certain way.
• It is now that matters: according to this theory, what matters is what happens in the present, and the past and the future are projections of this.
• Taking our responsibilities: according to Gestalt psychology, when we accept our responsibilities about what is happening to us, we have a greater capacity to solve our problems. And, at the same time, greater potential for people.

The Efficacy of Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt therapy is effective in treating clinical disorders including:

• schizophrenia;
• personality disorders;
• affective disorders;
• anxiety,
• substance dependence;
• psychosomatic disorders in meta-analysis.

In addition, Gestalt therapy has treated more or less 3,000 patients. Not only have the patients improved in personality dysfunction, self-concept, and interpersonal relationships, but the patients have perceived the therapy as very helpful.

The largest effect sizes were found when Gestalt therapy was used to treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, and phobias.

Concluding remarks on Gestalt psychology

Gestalt therapy is an effective way to treat many psychological disorders. But when you are struggling with symptoms of depression or anxiety, it can be difficult to find motivation to leave the house.

That's why you can take our online psychoanalysis course (EAD) at home to get to know and deepen your understanding of Gestalt psychology Transform your professional and personal life today by taking our course. In addition, our online course offers affordable prices and trained professionals to best meet your needs.