At the turn of the 21st Century, a group of German psychologists proposed a different way of thinking about cognitive function and perception, instead of the prevailing ‘structuralism’ of psychologists such as Wilhelm Wundt, who sought to isolate the separate elements of each mind process. They suggested a more holistic approach, called ‘gestalt theory’. This came from the German word gestalt, meaning “to form, shape or essence”. Gestalt theory emerged from the work of Wolfgang Köhler, Max Wertheimer, and Kurt Koffka, among others.
According to Gestalt Theory, we have an inherent tendency to perceive objects as wholes, rather than breaking them down into smaller components. When we see a simple picture of a square, we do not see the individual lines, but instead, we see the shape as a whole. Similarly, when we see a series of flashing lights, we see movement, not individual flashes. As Koffka said, “The whole is different from the sum of all its parts.”
