What is gestalt psychology? Plus, how it's used in modern life
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
If you've heard the phrase, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts," you know the foundation of Gestalt psychology. But how is it used today? We'll explain.
Ever noticed that we as humans tend to be big-picture-focused? When you’re listening to a song, you’re probably more focused on the melody, or the story than each individual note. If you’re driving, you recognize that those illuminated red, yellow, and green circles make up a traffic light.
Our brains are naturally wired to organize the world around us, often without us even noticing — and that’s the basis of Gestalt psychology.
Gestalt psychology is all about how we instinctively group and interpret information to help us experience things as a whole, rather than getting lost in the details. And when it comes to our relationships with others, these principles can help us think clearly and communicate more effectively. Once you understand how Gestalt psychology works, you might start to notice them all around you — including in some unexpected places.
What is gestalt psychology?
The word "gestalt" is a German word that translates to "shape" or "form.” In Gestalt psychology, "gestalt" refers to the idea that when we experience something, we don't just see the individual pieces, but the whole picture. That’s why, when you’re looking at a painting, your brain pieces everything together so you can see a whole landscape instead of getting lost in every brushstroke.
Gestalt psychology describes how we perceive the world, solve problems, and process new information. Whether you’re reading, picking up a new skill, or trying to figure out how to use a new app on your phone, Gestalt psychology encapsulates how your brain organizes things to help you make sense of it all.
The history of gestalt psychology
In the early 20th century, many psychologists believed that to understand the mind, you needed to break down human experiences into smaller parts. This approach is called structuralism, but the founders of Gestalt psychology disagreed with its approach.
They argued that to truly understand perception, you need to look at how the mind organizes and interprets the entire experience, not just the individual parts. This idea helped reshape how people thought about the human mind.
Who founded Gestalt psychology?
Gestalt psychology was founded by three German psychologists: Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Köhler. They conducted experiments with visual and auditory tasks to demonstrate how our brains process complex information.
Wertheimer explored “apparent motion,” which explains why we perceive a series of still images, like in movies or flip books, as smooth motion. His work laid the foundation for understanding how we use separate bits of information to form a complete picture.
Later, Koffka and Köhler expanded on Wertheimer’s ideas. Köhler conducted research on how animals, particularly chimpanzees, solve problems. He showed that they showed insight — or rather, they inherently knew what to do based on their past experiences.
What are the principles of gestalt psychology?
Gestalt psychology explores how we naturally group, organize, and interpret what we see. It explains why certain visual elements seem to “go together,” and how we recognize patterns without realizing it.
Once you notice this idea of the Gestalt principles, you could see them all around you— from design choices to patterns in daily life.
Pragnanz (good figure)
The “law of simplicity” tells us that our brains like to keep things simple. When we look at a complex image, our minds naturally simplify it for understanding. The principle of “pragnanz” explores how our brains understand multi-faceted concepts in the simplest way.
Consider this: When you look at the Olympic rings, your brain cuts through the chaos to find order, so you instantly recognize them as a complete symbol, not just a jumble of curves.
Similarity
When we see objects that look alike, we naturally group them together. If you spot a mix of shapes, your mind automatically sorts them into respective groups, even if they're the same color. This is a way to organize and also to view similarities through chaos and noise.
Consider this: When you're organizing your kitchen cabinet, you probably put plates with plates and bowls with bowls.
Proximity
Even if they don’t look the same, we naturally tend to group things together if they’re near each other. If a bunch of dots on a page are clustered together, but others are spread out, your brain will instinctively group the closer ones, whether or not they’re related.
Consider this: If a few people are standing near each other at a concert, you might assume they know each other, even if they’re not interacting.
Continuity
Our brains are wired to follow the easiest path when we look at things because we tend to prefer smooth, continuous patterns instead of jagged or broken shapes. While we might be faced with multiple stimuli at once, we’re going to focus on the thought or throughline that we’re focused on.
Consider this: When we look at a map, our brains naturally follow the path of a road, even if there are overlapping routes.
Closure
If something isn’t whole, our brains fill in the gaps to make things feel complete. When you see a circle with a tiny piece missing, your mind doesn’t dwell on that gap — it just fills it in so you see the whole shape.
Consider this: If you see a sign that’s partly covered, like a STOP sign that’s covered in overgrown tree branches, you can still read what it says and understand its meaning.
Common region
When you group objects within a defined area, your brain instantly thinks those items are connected.
Consider this: Web designers often use borders and boxes to group related info, making it easier for us to take it all in.
How is gestalt psychology implemented?
Gestalt psychology principles appear in everything from therapy to product design, education, and marketing, helping us make sense of our surroundings and interact more intuitively. Here are a few ways it helps you every day:
Helps us make sense of the world
Instead of getting bogged down by every tiny detail, we quickly grasp whole scenes. This helps us recognize familiar faces, navigate busy places, and make sense of complex situations.
Improves learning and problem-solving
Teachers group similar concepts together and break down complex topics into more easily understood chunks.
Students may be encouraged to “fill in the blanks” and make connections themselves, which can promote deeper learning. This can help make it easier for students to grasp and remember information.
Makes design more intuitive
Designers use Gestalt psychology principles to keep things looking clean, organized, and easy to navigate. Buttons, menus, and visuals are laid out using principles like proximity, similarity, and closure to make everything feel more intuitive.
On smartphones and websites, related buttons are grouped together and similar icons look alike, so you can easily understand and use them right from the start.
Can boost self-awareness
Learning to connect thoughts, feelings, and actions into a complete experience can help us become more aware of the present moment and take responsibility for our choices. This can lead to personal growth.
Simplifies communication
By organizing our thoughts and ideas clearly, we make it easier for others to follow along. A smooth, logical flow cuts down on confusion and makes us easier to understand.
This also applies to marketing, as visuals on billboards, TV commercials, or social media are designed to make the message clear and impactful. Designers use continuity to guide your eyes across an ad from the main image to the call-to-action button, so you follow the message without getting sidetracked.
Gestalt psychology FAQs
What is the basic principle of Gestalt psychology?
The main idea behind Gestalt psychology is that when we look at something, our brains combine all the elements to create a bigger, more meaningful picture. It happens so fast and effortlessly, you probably don’t even notice it.
What is a real life example of gestalt psychology?
A flip book is made up of a bunch of still images that flash by quickly. However, our brains don’t see a lot of separate pictures — they blend them together to create the feeling of continuous motion. The Gestalt principle of continuity tricks us into perceiving movement, even when it’s not actually there.
Another great example is when you read something with missing letters. Like when you see “W\_nderful d\_y!” your brain automatically fills in the gaps to make it “Wonderful day!” Closure helps us understand the whole message even if some parts are missing.
How does Gestalt psychology differ from other psychological approaches?
Gestalt psychology examines how we perceive and experience things as a whole, instead of breaking them down into tiny parts. Unlike earlier theories like structuralism, which focused on individual elements—like the sensation of color, sound, or taste—Gestalt psychology says that focusing on those little bits can actually make us miss the bigger picture.
Can Gestalt principles help improve communication skills?
When you’re chatting or writing, considering how the other person will take in the info you’re sharing can make your message clearer and easier to follow.
If you're delving into something complicated, group related ideas together. This can help your listener see the connections between different points.
Keep a logical flow to help everything feel smooth and coherent.
Combine Gestalt principles, like organizing your thoughts and using continuity, with mindfulness practices (here are eight techniques to try) to help you become more present in conversations.
Focus on the current moment, truly listen to the other person, and respond thoughtfully. This can help create more meaningful, clear communication.
How has Gestalt psychology influenced modern design practices?
Designers specializing in web design, graphic design, and user experience (UX) often use Gestalt principles to make layouts, interfaces, and visuals easy for us to understand and use.
Related buttons or links are grouped together (that’s the principle of proximity), so users can quickly see which options are connected. Icons or buttons that do similar things look alike, so it’s clear what users can do without needing extra instructions.
Are there any criticisms or limitations of Gestalt psychology?
A common critique of Gestalt psychology is that it mainly focuses on how we see things, so it might not fully explain how we deal with other types of information, like language or emotions. Some say it’s more about describing what we perceive rather than explaining why our brains organize information the way they do.
Also, people from different backgrounds can interpret things differently based on their experiences, and that’s not always taken into account by Gestalt theory.
However, even with limitations, Gestalt principles are still relevant — especially in areas like design, therapy, and education.
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