Exploring+Gestalt+Principles+of+Perceptual+Organization

By Jameson Rikel Gestalt Laws Overview There are a few laws associated with the Gestalt principle. One is the Law of Similarity. This is where some specific item of a given perception is grouped together when found in numbers. For example, numerous circles among squares will become a gang of circles and a gang of squares in your mind. The Law of Pragnanz is about reducing an element of perception into its most simple form. For example, when looking at a tree, you automatically see a tree instead of a bunch of branches, leaves, roots, and a trunk. The Law of Proximity is when elements of perception are grouped together because of their physical closeness. For example, the kids sitting with the popular guy at lunch are also considered popular. With the Law of Continuity segments of elements that match with the clearest path when considered with other segments are joined into a continuous flow. If you are looking for the line to pay for your food you inspect the flow of the line so that you can find the end of it. In the Law of Closure, if elements are close together, then the space between them is filled in. If your car is missing a wheel, you may not notice until it is too late.
 * Exploring Gestalt Principles of Perceptual Organization **

The Sound of Gestalt For sound, the three main laws are Similarity, Continuity, and Common Fate. In similarity, the sounds that come from the same source are grouped together. This means that all of the sound emanating from the clarinet are collectively the sound of the clarinet. Continuity with sound means that the sounds that come from the same source will flow smoothly over time, without abrupt alterations. If you listen to a song you will expect to hear the flow of the song, one delicate piece at a time, not the screeching feedback caused by your friend holding the mic too close to the speaker. With common fate, sounds coming from a single source will alter together. When you listen to the orchestra, all of the instruments are played at the same tempo.

Representational Momentum A newer piece to the Gestalt puzzle is called representational momentum, discovered by Timothy Hubbard. Both the Gestalt principles and representational momentum are considered a result of a dynamic process, which basically means that they occur with changes in perception. The underlying idea behind representational momentum is that the realization of the gestalt laws is exaggerated by the mind. This applies to all of the laws. For example, with the law of similarity, if you saw a row of apples and near that a row of oranges, then if you reproduced the scene the apples will be closer to each other while being further from the oranges, and vice versa for the oranges. What this may mean for sound is that if you were to reproduce a given rapid melody and a slow melody, you would over emphasize the rapidness of the rapid melody and the slowness of the slow melody due to representational momentum via common fate. Sources

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