The Gestalt psychologists reported a universal human tendency to separate a salient figure from what the viewer relegates to the ground. Outline, illustrate and critically discuss this issue.
Guidance
For general guidance about what is expected in your essays for this module, see the general criteria.
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What Key Features Do I Look For?
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Please remember to avoid footnotes and to include an alphabetical list of 'References' which have been cited in the text (not a Bibliography of anything you have read for the essay). This list should include author's names, date, book titles (in italics), place of publication and publisher. Within the text always cite author's surname, date and page number. Double-space your text and number your pages. For more detailed notes on writing essays in this department, click here.
Advice for this particular assignment: Clearly you need to define and illustrate what the Gestalt psychologists meant by figure and ground (background). And you need to know that the term 'perceptual salience' means that certain kinds of sensory data seem to 'stand out' - in relation to this notion, theorists would disagree on whether such data are universally perceptually salient (in which case, what kinds of data and why?) or alternatively that they are purely dependent on individual purposes. Provide some examples where what is salient ('figure') and what is 'ground' depends on particular individual and situational factors (and note what these are). Similarly, note Witkin's identification of 'field dependence' - the degree to which individuals find it easy or difficult to separate figure from ground in relatively complex contexts. Why do we perceive and represent certain things as having contours or outlines (see Gombrich 1982, 283 & Rock 1984, 100-2)? You could look at how children and amateur artists tend to use outlining whereas professional artists only do so when this is a key feature of their style. Related to this is the stance taken by some theorists would argue that things don't exist until we give them labels (where does a corner begin or a smile end?) (others argue that certain things really do have a distinct identity in the world independently of labels). Gestalt theory presents figure/ground distinctions as fundamental but note that Elkins (1998) attacks this claim: you need to present the pros and cons. Do not just list and describe the Gestalt principles - you may of course refer to relevant principles but relate your points closely to the precise focus of this question on the issue of figure and ground. Do not list general criticisms of Gestalt theories of perception - confine yourself to any criticisms (or even reaffirmations) you find of the Gestalt principles of perception relevant to the notion of figure and ground. Read widely in order to offer the best possible evidence for all claims made. Note also that this is an assignment for which the inclusion of relevant pictorial illustrations is likely to be an advantage. Use these to illustrate particular points. Contrasting one with another can also be productive. Incorporate illustrations electronically into your text (e.g. by scanning or downloading from the Internet) rather than literally cutting and pasting.
Some suggested reading
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