Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL)

Course Title
A Brief Introduction to Psychology

Lecture – 4
Perception

by
Prof. Braj Bhushan
Humanities & Social Sciences
IIT Kanpur

Till now we have talked about the, what to call extraction of image from the background,
depending on one the properties of the external stimuli to the readiness of the person who is
trying to perceive the object, and three what we were talking towards the end of the third lecture
was, the idea of drawing the contours so that the image can very easily be extracted out from the
background.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:45)

So today we would be talking about form perception wherein we would try to emphasize on the
organization of form.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:53)

How groups and patterns they emerge.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:58)

And in this context we would be talking about the Gestalt principles. Gestalt basically means
whole, complete. According to Kohler gestalt would be basically formed from ambiguous
stimuli. So how you try to complete your perception based on whatever is available to you okay,
that is that holistic part of the percept is the gestalt principal. The core principle is called the law
of Prägnanz okay.

And then there whole set of laws which are considered as part of gestalt principles. Now law of
Prägnanz basically says that the simplest organization is one that demands minimum cognitive
effort, okay. In German Prägnanz means clarity. So those cues in the external environment that
does not you know require too much of mental effort from your side in order to decipher the
figure from the background, okay.

Those organizations basically would constitute a law of Prägnanz. So that basically means that as
human beings we would also always like to minimize our cognitive engagement in terms of
deciphering the image from the background.
(Refer Slide Time: 02:35)

So simplest organisations would always require a minimal cognitive effort and therefore
minimum time, minimum effort, best type of mental representation that you derive from the
external environment, this is what would be considered as the principle of Prägnanz okay. So
simpler and symmetrical forms, these are the two types of forms which are very easily perceived
because it is too simple and because it is too symmetrical.

Therefore you do not have to cognitively you know engage yourself in too much of know
derivation of, extraction of cues, derivation of cues, arriving at a conclusion, combining them,
and then finally deriving a meaning out of it. Hence simpler symmetrical forms will always be
perceived very easily by human beings, this is what the law of Prägnanz says. Now look at this
very circle on the screen.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:27)

You have one circle, the second circle, third, the fourth, and the fifth, okay. Now all of them have
come one by one and then they form a pattern out of it now.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:48)

Now when you look at this very pattern you started from the first, came up to the whole no set of
five rings. Now look at the third image there, okay. You could have sense it that way also no? So
all types of no combinations where you realized there are small, small pieces cut out of the two
converging rings there. But then we do not perceive things in such fragmented order, rather we
always look at them as a whole, as a complete. You provide various colors to the rings and this is
what we call as Olympic rings, okay.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:26)

Now this is the logo of Rio Olympics which is schedule to be held next year, okay. And you do
not see all these smaller elements, you do not detach them and perceive them separately rather
you always perceive them together. So simpler symmetrical and this is what the law of Prägnanz
says.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:53)

Look at this very logo, you have three distinct components but they are too simple, okay and also
form a symmetry, simpler symmetrical, okay. This is what the law of Prägnanz says and hence
when you promote, okay tourism in Norway you suddenly feel Oh! The basic components which
defines what Norway means, okay.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:19)

Three elements put in a very simpler format, put in a very symmetrical order and this is what law
of Prägnanz says, okay. Perception is very easy, deriving sense is very easy, remembering is very
easy, okay. Cognitive effort is minimized, okay. And then you also have the best of the outcome
that you want. Now law of Prägnanz is the core of the gestalt principles and then there are whole
other sets of laws.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:44)

We will talk about them one by one. The second law is the law of symmetry, law of symmetry
basically says that similar objects that always tend to group together, okay. We first took in the
case of Law of Prägnanz we took the example of circles, okay. So we will continue with earlier
examples of circle, okay. And then again now go to the example which has a logo there, okay.
Look at this very video.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:12)

You find four circles here, and finally you have16 of them. So although they are independent
circles we tend to perceive them as groups, the colorless circles form one group now while the
rows of red circles form another one. Now let us make this situation a little more complex, okay.
We had just know four circles finally leading to 16 circles and we had the red color ones and the
colorless circles no.

So this is how, we were trying to look at the formation of groups based on similarity. Now if you
have some, much more complex situation.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:58)

Once again you have a row of four colorless circles multiplying into four rows, just as the
previous example the blue circles form a group when all of them become similar right now, okay.
With their blue colors the ones which are bigger either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally they
tend to form a group.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:27)

So we basically look at know the difference, okay. And depending on know what you are
actually trying to look at, okay. You will always search for a no certain reason based on which
you can form a group so that you perceive it better.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:43)

Look at this very logo, okay. It is a very commonly known logo to us, okay. And no actually
when you see here you find law of similarity being used, okay.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:57)

What we discussed was that similar objects they will tend to come together, okay.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:00)

And here you have no three different you know representations, okay. All of them they tend to
group together because they follow the law of similarity. The next law is the law of proximity,
proximity means nearness.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:15)

So objects which are nearer to each other they always tend to form a group. Once again we will
continue with the example of circles, okay. And then again take an example of a logo.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:27)

Initially you see four columns of green circles that are equidistant but when the two columns
move closer to each other, okay they tend to move know on the two ends, they form two distinct
groups, the first two columns from one group while the remaining two they form another group,
okay. So this is the law of proximity, initially they were no seen as distinct columns, okay.

Because know they were equidistant, okay. But the moment you have a separation now you see
that know you have one column and the other column although color, and the size, the form
remains the same, this is the law of proximity.
(Refer Slide Time: 09:09)

Now look at this very logo, okay. Here you have you know structures which basically forms
honeycomb but then they very easily because they are nearer to each other you can very easily
consider that they form one group, okay. And you advertise for a particular event along with the
sponsors the major sponsors of the event, okay. This is how law of proximity is beautifully
utilized in the world of visual communication.
(Refer Slide Time: 09:40)

Look at this very still image from Beijing Olympics, okay. Now here what you find is that there
are a whole lot of arrangements and then you have a, when you look at this very image you look
at things little differently. Now this very segment they tend to form one group, this very segment
tend to form one group, this segment forms another group, okay. And this is how you have
different, different types of representations here

Where although the bigger screen carries whole lot of things when we look at it we combine
separate parts together and then we try to sign a meaning to the external stimulus that we have
been looking at, okay. Now law proximity the way it defines here is, that you have things which
are closer to each other so one set of performance on the left-hand side who are closer to each
other.

And then there is a big distance between the other group so the left and right very easily gets
divided. Those in the center of course they have a different color of the costume but then they are
again separated from these two groups, okay. But then within themselves they are very close to
each other, they are very nearer to each other and hence the law of proximity helps us consider
that this is group 1, this is group 2, this is group 3.
They are all very, very symmetrical, okay. But then because of their nearness to one group
compared to the other based on their proximity we consider them to be forming three separate
groups.

(Refer Slide Time: 11:28)

We come to the next law that is law of closure. Law of closure basically says that if you have a
discontinuous shape and when you perceive it we always tend to complete it, okay. And this
completeness is based on whatever we are familiar with, let us take this very example again we
are banking on the example of circle and then again we will move onto an example of logo.
(Refer Slide Time: 11:51)

You see a circle right now, another one and yet another one, although you see 11 different circles
but you perceive them as a ring, their individual identity is not taken into account, okay. So this
is an important no, thing here that know when you look at the continuous things, okay. When you
look at the patterns that emerge, okay ,that this continuous shapes is perceived as a complete,
okay, if it represents something very, very familiar.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:26)

You look at this no famous visual icon, now this is a logo of WWF.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:32)

If you visit their site, okay.

(Refer Slide Time: 12:35)

You see this image no, you see here no where I am moving the cursor right now, okay. You see
WWF no you visit their site and you see exactly this very representation.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:47)

Now when you actually see it, okay. You can very easily make out what you are looking at and
you see it as Panda because the gaps that you see you try to know close it, you try to fill it, and
therefore this is not know looked upon as a no some black field areas against a white
background, but rather it is looked upon as an animal.
(Refer Slide Time: 13:08)

We come to the next law that is the law of continuity, okay. Law of continuity basically says that
continuous figures are always preferred. Now till now we were you know repeatedly taking
examples of circles. Now let us take example of a straight lines and then we will look at one of
the events from Beijing Olympics to understand law of continuity.
(Refer Slide Time: 13:31)

The law of continuity says that continuous figures are preferred by us, okay. So something that
runs in continuation.
(Refer Slide Time: 13:40)

You can see a bold straight line entering from the left side of the screen. Now another one enters
from the right side. Although they are two separate lines as you initially saw but when they join
you see them as one straight line, when two more straight lines enter from top and bottom
respectively you perceive an XY coordinate. When two of these lines become red, green, blue or
yellow they are perceived as one continuous figure, when they are all black you perceive them as
XY coordinate. Let us look at another example of law of continuity.
(Refer Slide Time: 14:21)

Here you see dark black circles appearing on the screen, these circles are perceived as collective
unit because they share a common feature of direction. Now initially you know you look at it as
a straight line, okay. And the moment this know the other line the curve one know comes there
you perceive it differently, you see as if it represents some type of direction.
(Refer Slide Time: 14:48)

If you visit you know Indigo airline, okay. This is one of the airlines that you must have certainly
seen here, okay. When you look at their logo, okay actually you see what know you saw here,
okay. Now when you look here no look at your screen this very part where I am moving the
cursor, okay. You actually see this law of continuity, okay. This image although this is a
collection of dot something that you saw.

Right now in this animation, okay but the moment you see here know it gives the direction and it
know makes you feel that fine you are actually looking at something, a visual representation of
Airline.
Now let us look at this video.

(Refer Slide Time: 15:33)

Do you see here the law of continuation working?

(Refer Slide Time: 16:05)

The next Gestalt principle is the law of symmetry, we have been talking about symmetrical
objects know right from we began with our discussion on Prägnanz. Now law of symmetry says
that symmetrical objects they will always be collectively perceived, let us take the example of
these squares and then we will also move to an example taking again a logo into account.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:30)

Look at the sky blue square and the blue square dropping out of it, this overlap helps you see
another square. Let us look at these squares without any color, we will perceive them as two
squares.
(Refer Slide Time: 14:46)

When the top and the bottom parts are removed we clearly see a small square, but when they are
brought back we perceive two big squares overlaying each other, this demonstrates that in spite
of distance symmetrical objects are collectively perceived.
(Refer Slide Time: 17:04)

This is the logo of CSC which basically shows you how beautifully the law of symmetry can be
used to represent visually represent one of the forms. The next law of gestalt principle is the law
of common fate.
(Refer Slide Time: 17:23)

The law of common fate says that objects which share common features they are grouped
together. So objects in our perceptual field, okay, that function or move together in similar
manner they will always, always be perceived together, okay. Now what is the importance of this
very law, basically it helps us perceive things around us in terms of whether they are related or
not, okay.
(Refer Slide Time: 17:51)

You must have seen these beautiful images in our Republic day parade, look at this very video
which basically tells you when different aircrafts which you basically know that these are
different, different aircraft's but when they make a formation.
(Refer Slide Time: 18:09)

They are then perceived together because they perform similar function, they move together and
therefore even though they are separate aircrafts they are not viewed so.
[OTHER LANGUAGE][0:18:19] to [0:19:49] Song
(Refer Slide Time: 19:50)

Now given the fact that based on the quality of the stimuli, based on our individual preparedness
and preferences, and also based on the laws that govern our perceptual principles we provide
meaning to what we have sensed from the world. Now based on what we have sensed from the
world and depending on the appropriateness of the meaning that we have provided, we many a
times tend to select certain inputs and retain them in our conscious experience for little longer
period of time.

So what we do, we tend to divide things into what would be in our focus and what we would
know keep it on the margin, this is what is called as attention because we have a limited duration
assigned for this very course so we will not go into details of attention, but I must tell you that
the recommended book if you go through that, you will find a whole know in-depth description
of the process related to attention.
 Acknowledgement

Ministry of Human Resource & Development

Prof. Satyaki Roy
Co-ordinator, NPTEL IIT Kanpur

NPTEL Team
Sanjay Pal
Ashish Singh
Badal Pradhan
Tapobrata Das
Ram Chandra
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K. K. Mishra
Aradhana Singh
Sweta
Ashutosh Gairola
Dilip Katiyar
Sharwan
Hari Ram
Bhadra Rao
Puneet Kumar Bajpai
Lalty Dutta
Ajay Kanaujia
Shivendra Kumar Tiwari

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