the white part of the figure, which looks like a vase (flower pot), or the black part of the figure, which looks like two faces. Fig. . : Rubin’s Vase We distinguish figure from the ground on the basis of the following characteristics: .
Figure has a definite form, while the background is relatively formless. . Figure is more organised as compared to its background. .
Figure has a clear contour (outline), while the background is contourless. . Figure stands out from the background, while the background stays behind the figure. .
Figure appears more clear, limited, and relatively nearer, while the background appears relatively unclear, unlimited, and away from us. The discussion presented above indicates that human beings perceive the world in organised wholes rather than in discrete parts. The Gestalt psychologists have given us several laws to explain how and why different stimuli in our visual field are organised into meaningful whole objects. Let us look at some of these principles.
The Principle of Proximity Objects that are close together in space or time are perceived as belonging together or as a group. For example, Fig. . does not look like a square pattern of dots, but as a series of columns of dots.
Similarly, Fig. . also looks like a group of dots together in rows. Fig.
. : Smallness Fig. . : Continuity Fig.
. : Similarity The Principle of Similarity Objects that are similar to one another and have similar characteristics are perceived as a group. In Fig. .
the little circles and squares are evenly spaced both horizontally and vertically so that the proximity does not come into play. Instead, we tend to see alternating columns of circles and squares. The Principle of Continuity This principle states that we tend to perceive objects as belonging together if they appear to form a continuous pattern. For instance, we are more likely to identify two lines a-b and c-d crossing than to identify four lines meeting at the center p .
The Principle of Smallness According to this principle, smaller areas tend to be seen as figures against a larger background. In