FIGURE 3.15 The Gestalt Principles of Organization
(a) The law of similarity is the tendency to perceive objects of a similar size, shape, or color as a unit or figure. Thus, you perceive organized rows of chocolates and truffles rather than a mixed array.
(b) The law of closure is the tendency to fill in the gaps in an incomplete image. Thus, you perceive the curved lines on the clock as smooth, continuous circles, even though they are interrupted by workers and the clock’s hands.
(c) The law of good continuation is the tendency to group elements that appear to follow in the same direction as a single unit or figure. Thus, you tend to see the curved sections of rails as continuous units, and the straight sections as other continuous units.
(d) The law of proximity is the tendency to perceive objects that are close to one another as a single unit. Thus, you perceive these four penguins as two sets of penguin couples rather than as a single group of four penguins.
(a) The law of similarity is the tendency to perceive objects of a similar size, shape, or color as a unit or figure. Thus, you perceive organized rows of chocolates and truffles rather than a mixed array.
(b) The law of closure is the tendency to fill in the gaps in an incomplete image. Thus, you perceive the curved lines on the clock as smooth, continuous circles, even though they are interrupted by workers and the clock’s hands.
(c) The law of good continuation is the tendency to group elements that appear to follow in the same direction as a single unit or figure. Thus, you tend to see the curved sections of rails as continuous units, and the straight sections as other continuous units.
(d) The law of proximity is the tendency to perceive objects that are close to one another as a single unit. Thus, you perceive these four penguins as two sets of penguin couples rather than as a single group of four penguins.
Chuck Place/Alamy
Dan Chung/Reuters/Corbis
John Shaw/Photo Researchers
Dan Chung/Reuters/Corbis
John Shaw/Photo Researchers