figure 5.13 Gestalt principles When you perceive a collection of objects, you spontaneously group some of them together. Gestalt principles describe basic ways in which this grouping occurs. (a) According to the principle of proximity, items that are near each other (i.e., proximal) are grouped together. You thus perceive three groups of dots in the image in part (a). (b) The principle of similarity says that physically similar items are grouped together in perception. This creates the perception of columns (rather than rows) in image (b). (c) The principle of closure suggests that people tend to perceive complete forms, so you see an arrow in image (c), even though the shape itself is incomplete.