A century of Gestalt psychology in visual perception: II. Conceptual and theoretical foundations

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dc.citation.firstpage1218en_US
dc.citation.issueNumber6en_US
dc.citation.journalTitlePsychological Bulletinen_US
dc.citation.lastpage1252en_US
dc.citation.volumeNumber138en_US
dc.contributor.authorWagemans, Johanen_US
dc.contributor.authorFeldman, Jacoben_US
dc.contributor.authorGepshtein, Sergeien_US
dc.contributor.authorKimchi, Ruthen_US
dc.contributor.authorPomerantz, James R.en_US
dc.contributor.authorvan der Helm, Peter A.en_US
dc.contributor.authorvan Leeuwen, Ceesen_US
dc.date.accessioned2017-08-02T14:52:14Zen_US
dc.date.available2017-08-02T14:52:14Zen_US
dc.date.issued2012en_US
dc.description.abstractOur first review article (Wagemans et al., 2012) on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of Gestalt psychology focused on perceptual grouping and figure-ground organization. It concluded that further progress requires a reconsideration of the conceptual and theoretical foundations of the Gestalt approach, which is provided here. In particular, we review contemporary formulations of holism within an information-processing framework, allowing for operational definitions (e.g., integral dimensions, emergent features, configural superiority, global precedence, primacy of holistic/configural properties) and a refined understanding of its psychological implications (e.g., at the level of attention, perception, and decision). We also review 4 lines of theoretical progress regarding the law of Prägnanz-the brain's tendency of being attracted towards states corresponding to the simplest possible organization, given the available stimulation. The first considers the brain as a complex adaptive system and explains how self-organization solves the conundrum of trading between robustness and flexibility of perceptual states. The second specifies the economy principle in terms of optimization of neural resources, showing that elementary sensors working independently to minimize uncertainty can respond optimally at the system level. The third considers how Gestalt percepts (e.g., groups, objects) are optimal given the available stimulation, with optimality specified in Bayesian terms. Fourth, structural information theory explains how a Gestaltist visual system that focuses on internal coding efficiency yields external veridicality as a side effect. To answer the fundamental question of why things look as they do, a further synthesis of these complementary perspectives is required.en_US
dc.identifier.citationWagemans, Johan, Feldman, Jacob, Gepshtein, Sergei, et al.. "A century of Gestalt psychology in visual perception: II. Conceptual and theoretical foundations." <i>Psychological Bulletin,</i> 138, no. 6 (2012) American Psychological Association: 1218-1252. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029334.en_US
dc.identifier.digitalCentury_Gestalt_Psychology_Visual_Perception_IIen_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1037/a0029334en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/96160en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherAmerican Psychological Associationen_US
dc.rightsThis is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association.en_US
dc.titleA century of Gestalt psychology in visual perception: II. Conceptual and theoretical foundationsen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.type.dcmiTexten_US
dc.type.publicationpost-printen_US
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