Cognitive Theories of Learning: Gestalt Theory and Field Theory

Cognitive Theories of Learning:

Gestalt Theory and Field Theory

A presentation in Advanced Educational Psychology

Amor S. Artiola
November 24, 2018
OUTLINE:
I. Gestalt
A. The Founders
B. Major Assumptions
C. Applications in Educational Psychology
II. Field Theory
A. The Founders
B. Major Assumptions
C. Applications in Educational Psychology
FOUNDERS
 Studied law at the University of
Prague before becoming
interested in psychology and
physiology.
 In 1910, Wertheimer began
conducting experiments with
Koffka and Kohler to test Gestalt
theories.
 In 1943 he finished his work on
"productive thinking" and died that
same year. He is best known for his
ideas about problem solving.
MAX WERTHEIMER
(1880 - 1943)
FOUNDERS
Born in Estonia, and earned is
PhD from the University of Berlin
in 1909.
From 1913 to 1920 he was
director at a research station in
Canary Islands where he studied
animal behavior.
Known for his book The Mentality
of Apes (1925) and his ideas
about insight in learning.
WOLFGANG KOHLER
(1887-1967)
FOUNDERS
Studied at the University of Berlin
where he received his PhD in
experimental psychology.
Shared a laboratory with
Wertheimer and Kohler as he
studied visual perception and the
effects on memory and thinking.
“The whole is other than the sum of
the parts.” KURT KOFFKA
(1886 - 1941)
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS
The central focus of the

Gestalt Theory was the
idea of grouping.
Laws of organization
Law of Proximity
Things that are relatively close to one another

tend to be grouped together.
Law of Similarity
Items having the some similar characteristics are

grouped together.
Law of Closure
People tend to ignore gaps and complete

contour lines.
Law of Symmetry
Two exactly equal halves of a whole challenge

our perception of what we see.
Figure-Ground
People tends to perceive object or figure as

existing on a background.
Law of Common Fate
Objects with a common movement, that move

with the same direction, at the same pace at the
same time are organized as a group.
Law of Continuity
People tend to mentally form a continuous line.

Law of Good Pragnaz (prɛɡnants)
People will perceive and interpret ambiguous or

complex images as the simplest form(s) possible.
Application to Educational Psychology
The teacher should organize

the learning situations so that
significant relations emerge and
understanding of the material
results.
The daily lesson plan is many times
fragmentary. A lesson may be taught
in four or five steps or periods. But, if
the matter taught on the first day and
the last day fails to establish
relationship on the part of the
teacher, students get confused. They
do not see any significance.
Where possible, the teacher should

use visual presentations,
outlines, maps, charts, graphs.
These devices will permit a survey
of the whole concept of what is
being taught.
Rote learning was learning without

understanding. Teacher should
promote productive thinking. The
learning people acquire through
productive thinking is not just
remembered longer but can also
be applied easily in real situations.
Human mind gives an organization or

pattern to the environmental world
revealed to the organism through
sense perception. With teachers’
encouragement, the learners are
able to understand the true nature
of the problem they are facing.
The gaps or the incongruities

can be stimulants for
learning (Law of closure).
Begin the instruction with the

world of the student.
FOUNDER
 Kurt Lewin (Luh-veen) was born in Prussia,
what we now call Poland.
 He studied medicine and biology. In the
end he started to take more interest in
psychology and philosophy.
 During WWI, Kurt was wounded after
Germany sent him into battle. These early
experiences had a major impact on the
development of his field theory and later
study of group dynamics.
 He originally began his studies with an
interest in behaviorism, but he later
developed an interest in Gestalt KURT LEWIN
psychology. (1890 – 1947)
Major Assumption
Major Assumption
Lewin explains the

individual behavior on the
basis of life-space.
Major Assumption
LIFE nt
 perceived
SPACE: objects
 places where he goes
 feelings about places
 the and events and people
individual encountered
himself  what he sees on TV or
 drives reads in books
 his imagined thoughts
 tensions and goals.
 thoughts
 environme
Major Assumption
The field of force to which an

individual is responding and
reacting is called his life-space.
Thus, Lewin’s theory is called
field theory.
Major Assumption
The teacher should keep in mind

that the student, the teacher
himself, other teachers, the school
and peer group – are all parts of
the total situation.
Remember : B = f (P, E)
The teacher must assist the

students to perceive the goal and
the barrier.
The learner because of attraction to
rewards may resort to shortest methods.
For example, to get distinction in the
examination, the student may like to
cheat.
It is, therefore, necessary to put some
barriers over the reward situation, to
avoid access to such short methods.
Psychological success or failure
depends upon ego involvement and
level of aspiration. The teacher
therefore should provide challenging
classroom tasks.
Success in easy task is not success experience
since it does not involve the ego of the person.
Similarly, failure in a very difficult task is no failure
experience.
The teacher must utilize variety of

teaching strategies.
Attractive goals may lose attention if the

activity related to them is repeated to the
points of satiation.

Cognitive Theories of Learning: Gestalt Theory and Field Theory

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cognitive Theories of Learning: Gestalt Theory and Field Theory

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cognitive Theories of Learning: Gestalt Theory and Field Theory

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cognitive Theories of Learning:

Gestalt Theory and Field Theory

A presentation in Advanced Educational Psychology

The central focus of the

Things that are relatively close to one another

Items having the some similar characteristics are

People tend to ignore gaps and complete

Two exactly equal halves of a whole challenge

People tends to perceive object or figure as

Objects with a common movement, that move

People tend to mentally form a continuous line.

People will perceive and interpret ambiguous or

The teacher should organize

Where possible, the teacher should

Rote learning was learning without

Human mind gives an organization or

The gaps or the incongruities

Begin the instruction with the

Lewin explains the

The field of force to which an

The teacher should keep in mind

The teacher must assist the

The teacher must utilize variety of

Attractive goals may lose attention if the

You might also like