Social Response

Behavior is our outward actions; mental is our inward actions. We act and think in order to describe, explain, predict, and control the world around us. Psychology helps us to better understand ourselves, others, and the world around us. It is the tool necessary to explain all the questions that float in our heads but that we never really search to discover answers to. What can psychology do for us? It can help us gain understanding, deal with stresses, communicate, learn, and teach us the connection we have between mind and body. Psychology: the true reason each of us is an individual.

Chapter 1 – Gestalt Psychology

Explanation of Topic

Gestalt psychology is a German word that means “good form” or “good figure”. It is a form of psychology that formed into a movement. Many psychologists devoted their work to studying this new perception on how the mind and body work. Basically, gestalt psychology is a psychology that focuses on a comparison between the whole and it’s parts, hence the phrase commonly heard “the whole and the sum of it’s parts”. It states that people interpret information as a whole, not as individual parts. When separate parts are put together in the mind to create a whole, in a comparison of whole versus parts as to which is greater, the whole would overwhelmingly be selected.

Relevance in My Life

Gestalt psychology became my interest focus as a result of a lecture given in my advertising copy and layout class, as well as past art classes. It is a concept widely used in graphic design when discussing media placements. An advertisement is the sum of its parts and out first response is to the effect of the advertisement as a whole; therefore, it is very important that one greatly concentrates and plans placement of each individual object placed, as well as the vehicle for media interaction with the advertisement. Many artists greatly study gestalt psychology to gain a better understanding and knowledge as to how to successfully plan media, advertisements, and personal art pieces in a way that is most pleasing and attractive to audiences. Since I was once a graphic design major, and still currently hold it as a minor in hopes to work later in advertising, it is important that I too study the importance of the whole versus the sum of its individual parts to aid me in my own works.