Gestalt Psychology Social Sciences

Gestalt

Gestalt theory is a broadly interdisciplinary general theory which provides a framework for a wide variety of psychological phenomena, processes, and applications. Human beings are viewed as open systems in active interaction with their environment. It is especially suited for the understanding of order and structure in psychological events, and has its origins in some orientations of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Ernst Mach, and particularly of Christian von Ehrenfels and the research work of Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, Kurt Koffka, and Kurt Lewin, who opposed the elementistic approach to psychological events, associationism, behaviorism, and to psychoanalysis. The coming to power of national socialism substantially interrupted the fruitful scientific development of Gestalt theory in the German-speaking world; Koffka, Wertheimer, Köhler and Lewin emigrated, or were forced to flee, to the United States. The epistemological orientation of Gestalt theory tends to be a kind of critical realism. Methodologically, the attempt is to achieve a meaningful integration of experimental and phenomenological procedures (the experimental-phenomenological method). Crucial phenomena are examined without reduction of experimental precision. Gestalt theory is to be understood not as a static scientific position, but as a paradigm that is continuing to develop. Through developments such as the theory of the self-organization of systems, it attains major significance for many of the current concerns of psychology.

• - In this lab Michael Kubovy and his colleagues are doing state of the art research to determine and define the Gestalt laws of perceptual organization as they manifest themselves in both the visual and auditory domains.
  
• - Published August, 1995 by Prentice Hall.
  
• - This intent of this site is to provide a single concise gateway to various resources related to Archetypal (Depth) Psychology and its relationship with dreams and myth.
  
• - by Kevin Mulligan and Barry Smith
  
• - Bi-lingual (German/English) quarterly journal of the Society for Gestalt Theory and its Applications. Contents and abstracts.
  
• - Association established for the purpose of promoting the Gestalt-theoretical perspective in research and practice. Includes information, resources, and conferences.
  
• - Sonoma State University
  
• - by Ian Verstegen, Temple University, Philadelphia
  
• - by Roy Behrens, artist, writer, teacher.
  
• - An essay about the link between early Gestalt psychology and contemporary developments in philosophy as well as in artificial intelligence research.
  
• - A pointer to Gestalt theory related web-resources, including own resources like the Gestalt Theory Keywords section
  
• - Articles, history, bibliography, news about Gestalt therapy.
  
  

Copyright © 1995-2007 Internet Advertising Solutions, Inc.
Copyright Notice | Privacy Policy | Site Map | APR