This optical illusion is known as the phi phenomenon.
Discovered by German psychologistMax Wertheimer, this illusion of movement became a basis for Gestalt psychology.
According toGestalt psychology, this apparent movement happens because our minds fill in missing information.
Verywell / JR Bee
They called these rules the Gestalt laws of perceptual organization.
Gestalt principles are much like heuristics, which aremental shortcuts for solving problems.
Law of Similarity
The law of similarity states that similar things tend to appear grouped together.
Grouping can occur in both auditory andvisual stimuli.
Law of Pragnanz
The law of pragnanz is sometimes called the law of simplicity.
An example of this can be experienced with the Olympic logo.
To see this Gestalt principle in action, look at the image at the top of the page.
This is due to the law of proximity.
In the image at the top of the page, you probably see the shape of a diamond.
Look at the last image at the top of the page.
Despite how close those two dots are, we see the dotsinsidethe circles as belonging together.
Creating a clearly defined boundary can overpower other Gestalt laws such as the law of proximity.
Takeaways
The Gestalt principles help us understand some of the ways in which perception works.
Research continues to offer insights intoour perceptionand how we see the world.
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Prospects for a paradigm shift in the psychological sciences.New Ideas Psychol.
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Dresp-Langley B.Principles of perceptual grouping: Implications for image-guided surgery.Front Psychol.
2016;28(1):12-22. doi:10.1177/0956797616671524
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Goldstein EB.Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience.
