Starter
What your exam will look like
Learning Objectives
Lesson 1 & 2
• To identify examples of Gestalt laws.
• To understand and evaluate the Gestalt
theory of illusions.
• To recognise the differences between
the Gestalt theory and Gregory’s
theory, and their relative strengths and
weaknesses.
Gestalt Theory of Illusions
• To understand Gestalt’s theory, first you
need to understand the Gestalt Laws.
– The whole is worth more than the sum of the
parts
– Figure and Ground
Use the worksheet, to
– Similarity
draw illustrations for
– Proximity
each Gestalt law in your
– Continuity
books and write a
– Closure
sentence beside
explaining them.
Gestalt Theory
• What are illusions?
–
–
–
–
Fictions
After effects
Ambiguous Figures
Distortions
• For each illusion read the information
and write a simple definition in your
book.
Gestalt Theory
• The Gestalt Laws suggest that our perception
organises the parts of a stimulus into a ‘whole’
• For example, we saw how we perceive groups
and continuous lines using the laws of
proximity, continuity and similarity. Because
of figure-ground we separate ‘objects’ from
‘backgrounds’
• Select two examples of illusions we have
studied in the last few weeks, and explain
them using Gestalt theory, use the worksheet
to help you.
• Draw a table in your book. Compare responses
for and against the 2 theories about Illusions:
Gestalt for
Gestalt
Against
Gregory For
Gregory
Against
• Draw a table in your book. Compare responses
for and against the 2 theories about Illusions:
Gestalt for
Gestalt
Against
Gregory For
Perspective law
Cannot explain any Linear Depth cues
explains
distortions other enable illusions
distortion illusions than Muller-lyer
Uses different
explanations at
different times
Size constancy
enables illusions
Can help to
explain ambiguous
figures
Gregory
Against
Curved lines don’t
work like linear
depth cues
Learning Objectives
Lesson 1 & 2
• To identify examples of Gestalt laws.
• To understand and evaluate the Gestalt
theory of illusions.
• To recognise the differences between
the Gestalt theory and Gregory’s
theory, and their relative strengths and
weaknesses.