Question 1

The Gestalt movement was launched when Wertheimer discovered:

Accepted Answer

The Gestalt movement was launched when Wertheimer discovered the phi phenomenon, which is the optical illusion of perceiving continuous motion between separate objects viewed rapidly in succession. This discovery was foundational to the Gestalt psychology principles, emphasizing the whole of perception as more than the sum of its parts.

Question 2

Gestalt is a German word meaning:

Accepted Answer

Gestalt, a German word used in psychology, translates to "configuration" or "shape," emphasizing the idea that the whole is different from the sum of its parts.

Question 3

For Gestalt psychologists, the proper object of study for psychology is:

Accepted Answer

Gestalt psychologists focus on the holistic experience of individuals, emphasizing the importance of understanding the patterns and contexts in which psychological phenomena occur. They argue that the mind perceives external stimuli as whole parts rather than the sum of individual components, making phenomenological experience (the subjective experience of phenomena) their primary object of study.

Question 4

"Psychological organization will always be as good as the controlling circumstances allow" is a description of:

Accepted Answer

The law of Prägnanz, also known as the principle of simplicity or the law of good figure, is a fundamental principle of Gestalt psychology that suggests psychological organization will always be as regular, simple, and symmetric as possible given the controlling circumstances.

Question 5

If a figure that has a gap in its boundary is presented briefly, the subject tends to perceive the figure with a closed boundary.This exemplifies the:

Accepted Answer

The principle of closure is a Gestalt psychology principle that describes the tendency of the human mind to perceive incomplete shapes as complete. This means that when we see a figure with a gap in its boundary, our minds fill in the missing information to perceive a complete, closed boundary.

Question 6

Gestalt psychologists believed that:

Accepted Answer

Gestalt psychologists posited that psychological phenomena cannot be fully understood through analyzing their constituent parts alone, but rather by viewing them as structured wholes. The principle of isomorphism, part of Gestalt theory, suggests a correlation between perceptual phenomena and brain activity, meaning that patterns of perceptual experiences are mirrored by patterns of brain activity.

Question 7

The fact that we do not experience loss of vision in our "blind spots" may exemplify:

Accepted Answer

Prägnanz, a principle of Gestalt psychology, explains how our perceptions are organized as simply and symmetrically as possible, including filling in gaps such as the blind spot in our vision.

Question 8

According to Koffka, all of the inhabitants of a particular city can claim that they all live in the same city only in the sense.

Accepted Answer

Koffka, a Gestalt psychologist, emphasizes the geographical aspect when referring to the shared experience of living in the same city, as it is the physical, tangible location that unites the inhabitants' experiences.

Question 9

Spence's explanation of transposition became more popular than the Gestalt explanation because:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Spence's explanation of transposition became more popular...

Question 10

According to Wertheimer, which of the following underlies effective problem solving?

Accepted Answer

Wertheimer, a key figure in Gestalt psychology, emphasized that effective problem solving is based on understanding the structure of the problem and reorganizing its components, rather than on rote memorization, strict logic, or behavioristic principles.

Question 11

Learning according to the Gestalt point of view:

Accepted Answer

Gestalt psychology emphasizes understanding the whole concept rather than its parts, focusing on patterns and context in learning. It suggests that learning involves insight, perception, and the active engagement of the learner's cognitive processes, rather than being a passive or purely behaviorist process influenced by external factors.

Question 12

According to Wertheimer, the best solution to a problem involves seeing the involved in the problem.

Accepted Answer

According to Wertheimer, a key figure in Gestalt psychology, the best solution to a problem involves seeing the principles involved in the problem. Gestalt psychology emphasizes understanding the laws of our ability to acquire and maintain meaningful perceptions in an apparently chaotic world.

Question 13

Which kind of reinforcement did Wertheimer emphasize?

Accepted Answer

Wertheimer, a key figure in Gestalt psychology, emphasized intrinsic reinforcement, which is the internal or inherent satisfaction derived from performing a task, rather than external rewards.

Question 14

According to the Gestalt theorists, which of the following is most influential in determining what is remembered from an experience?

Accepted Answer

Gestalt theorists emphasize the importance of the trace system, which is developed from numerous similar experiences, in determining what is remembered. They believe that memory is influenced by the organization and integration of past experiences.

Question 15

Which of the following constitutes the Gestaltist's explanation as to why we experience a partial circle as a complete circle?

Accepted Answer

The Gestaltist's explanation is that our experience is dominated by the trace system of "circleness." This means that when we see a partial circle, our brain automatically fills in the missing parts and we experience it as a complete circle.

Question 16

According to Gestalt theorists, the importance of the phi phenomenon was that it:

Accepted Answer

The phi phenomenon demonstrates that the perception of motion is different from the individual visual stimuli that cause it, illustrating the Gestalt principle that the whole is different from the sum of its parts.

Question 17

According to the Gestaltists, the melody emanating from an orchestra has a(n) which is something different from the various notes being played by the various musicians.

Accepted Answer

Gestalt psychology emphasizes that the whole of anything is greater than its parts. According to Gestaltists, the melody (the whole) experienced from an orchestra is different and more than just the sum of individual notes played by various musicians (the parts). This concept is referred to as "Gestalt," which is a German word meaning "shape" or "form" and is used in psychology to denote the idea that an organized whole is perceived as more than the sum of its parts.

Question 18

The Gestalt psychologists maintained that both the structuralists and the behaviorists made the same basic error in using a(n) approach.

Accepted Answer

The Gestalt psychologists criticized both the structuralists and the behaviorists for using an elementistic approach, which breaks down psychological phenomena into their simplest elements, rather than understanding the mind and behavior as wholes.

Question 19

According to Lewin, the total number of "psychological facts" influencing a person at any given moment constitutes that person's:

Accepted Answer

Lewin's concept of "life space" encompasses all the internal and external factors influencing a person at a given moment, including needs, desires, goals, and environmental factors. This concept is central to his field theory, which posits that behavior is the result of the complex interactions within this life space.

Question 20

The law of Prägnanz suggests:

Accepted Answer

The law of Prägnanz is a principle in Gestalt psychology that suggests people will perceive and interpret ambiguous or complex images as the simplest form(s) possible, emphasizing a tendency toward cognitive completeness and simplicity.

Quiz 10: Gestalt Theory