By When trying to shape the ambiguous patterns of the world, the simple takes precedence over the difficult. If you want to learn more about this law, read on!
The law of pregnancy or good form is one of several principles that Gestalt psychologists developed to explain how the mind organizes and interprets perceptions. This law highlights the importance of simplicity in grouping elements into a clear and meaningful structure.
Harmony and saving of cognitive effort are inherent aspects of this law. In this article, we will describe some of its other characteristics, give some examples, and explain how it is applied in some contexts.
What is Gestalt?
Gestalt psychology was a German experimental and theoretical school founded by Max Wertheimer , Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Köhler . Its main goal was to understand how the mind organizes and interprets perceptions .
The German term “Gestalt” means “figure”, “form” or “configuration”.
This theory had its heyday in the first half of the 20th century. It emerged as a new way of understanding perception, in contrast to the structuralism of Wilhelm Wundt . The structural understanding of the world that reigned until then held that perception was the product of the combination of smaller elements, known as sensations .
With the emergence of Gestalt and its laws, this vision changed. For this new school, perception is not the addition of components, but an organized whole different from the sum of its parts .
Let’s look at an example. For a structuralist like Wundt, before perceiving a face, it is necessary to first perceive its parts (eyebrows, eyes, mouth, etc.); but for Gestalt theorists, the face is perceived long before perceiving its components. In this case, what is processed are complete, compact and significant units, and not isolated fragments that are concatenated. The whole is perceived and not just the parts.
The Gestalt laws of perceptual organization
The interest in the “whole” motivated Gestalt psychologists to focus on the formulation of principles that would explain perceptual organization. Theoretical and practical development in this regard led them to create the famous laws of perceptual organization .
These laws are a set of rules that explain how humans organize small parts into a coherent whole . Let’s look at some of the best known:
- Law of similarity : things that are the same appear to be grouped together.
- Law of continuity : shapes and patterns are perceived in such a way that they appear continuous.
- Law of proximity or closeness : nearby elements are perceived as grouped together.
- Law of common destiny : the parts of a whole that move in the same direction appear to be grouped together.
- Law of familiarity : Things tend to be grouped together if they are familiar or meaningful.
- Law of connection of elements : the parts that are connected are perceived as a unit.
- Law of synchronicity : what happens at the same time is perceived together.
- Law of common region : components that share the same space are perceived as grouped together.
Although theorists of this school appealed to the term “laws” to describe the organization of perceptions, most researchers and psychologists of perception prefer to call them principles . Some even call them heuristics because they do not work at all times, but only in certain specific circumstances or in response to particular problems.
What is the law of pregnancy?
The word pregnancia is the Spanish equivalent of the German concept pragnanz , which means ‘conciseness’ or ‘well-defined’. This law is also known as the law of simplicity or the law of good figure .
In his book Sensation and Perception, Bruce Goldstein points out that this principle holds that “every set of stimuli is perceived in such a way that the structure it generates is the simplest .” This rule is the most fundamental of Gestalt. It is the perfect reflection of the saving of resources of the mind.
Look at the following image taken from Goldstein’s book:
When we look at the Olympic rings, we usually perceive the shape of figure (A) because it is the simplest possible structure. Even though figure (B) is a completely feasible option, the mind usually does not see it because it is more complex.
Let’s look at another illustration from Goldstein of this law:
This image is an example of reinterpretation towards the simplest. Among so many black and white dots, our mind organizes these elements and creates the simple image of a Dalmatian sniffing the ground. Amidst the complexity or ambiguity of these spots, the brain reinterprets the scene in the easiest and most familiar way .
In the following image, Bruce Goldstein gives us another incredible example of the law of pregnance. Instead of perceiving twenty-four different parts, spread throughout space, we see a cube or hexahedron because it is the simplest representation of all.
Characteristics of the law of pregnancy
From the examples and explanations presented, we can deduce several outstanding qualities of this principle. Let us look at four of its essential characteristics.
1. Simplicity
As we have already mentioned, its distinctive feature is the simplicity in the organization of perceptions . We will always see the easiest version among all the possibilities. It is the perceptual application of Occam’s razor or the principle of parsimony, which states that the simplest explanation is the most probable.
2. Coherence
Another key feature is that the final representation is not only simple, but also coherent. It has a defined order and structure that reflects the grouping of the elements of the whole . For this reason, the figures and patterns perceived from this law have a visible meaning and sense.
3. Balance
Between simplicity and coherence, the law also allows us to perceive symmetrical and proportionate forms . These qualities give greater regularity to figures and patterns, which facilitates their perception.
4. Perceptual economy
Through this law and its inherent resource saving, the mind can perform in a functional manner, without expending so much energy or investing so much cognitive effort. This characteristic is what makes it one of the brain’s favorite laws of perceptual organization.
Application of the law of pregnancy
In the world of marketing, it is used to create persuasive advertisements , capable of influencing people’s decisions. Through simplicity, good continuity and order, it improves the perception of stimuli. Here are some of its various applications:
- Logo creation : A good logo allows a company or brand to become recognizable and familiar to consumers. To achieve this, designers use, among other laws and principles, the law of pregnancy, as it allows them to convert an idea into a simple, easy-to-remember and meaningful image.
- User Experience Design (UX) : Through this law, simple and easy-to-manipulate interfaces can be created for users. Removing complexity from navigation is, without a doubt, a key factor that will make a person stay on a website.
- Traffic signs : Road signs must be clear and very simple to facilitate visibility and understanding by drivers. Due to its characteristics, the law of good figure has found an important niche of application.
Simplicity stands out more than complexity
The law of good shape is a principle in which complexity is discarded in favor of ease . Simple things have higher priority. In this article, we have reviewed this central principle for Gestalt and learned that the structure that emerges from a series of patterns or images is always going to be the least difficult.
We also describe its main features and detail its importance for marketing and web development. Through this law, individuals and companies can more easily reach consumers and improve user experiences.