Gestalt Therapy/Theory Research

As the Gestalt Principles have become the main focus of my work I want to find out as much information as I can about them before I begin to compile my essay.

Who:

In 1910 Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Kohler began to develop the early Gestalt psychology with emphasis on pattern and visualising objects as a whole. 

What:

Gestalt psychology or gestaltism (German: Gestalt "shape, form") is a theory of mind of the Berlin School of experimental psychology. Gestalt psychology tries to understand the laws of our ability to acquire and maintain meaningful perceptions in an apparently chaotic world. Gestalt is a psychology term which means "unified whole". It refers to theories of visual perception developed by German psychologists in the 1920s. These theories attempt to describe how people tend to organize visual elements into groups or unified wholes when certain principles are applied. The main Gestalt Principles are:

1. Symmetry

2. Figure and Ground

3. Proximity

4. Similarity

5. Simplicity

6. Continuity

7. Closure

Why:

The Gestalt Principles were an important development and discovery of visual perception, it was a huge leap in terms of understanding and possible ways that we as humans see and perceive. They became an interest within design in the 1940's when it came to light that these principles could be a tool for artists and designers when creating.

This table shows the transition of how Gestalt began as a form of psychological analysis but was translated into a therapy, there are many traits within the therapy that can be seen in the later formed principles, this shows how all three elements tie together.