Final answer:
Gestalt theory posits that our brains organize sensory information into a coherent whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term Gestalt is related to the field of psychology and refers to a concept that the whole of an object or scene is perceived as more than the sum of its individual parts. This principle is fundamental to our understanding of perception, as Gestalt theorists believe that the brain organizes sensory information in predictable ways, resulting in a coherent view of the world.
One notable aspect of Gestalt theory is the figure-ground relationship, which is our tendency to view parts of a visual field as objects (figures) standing out against a backdrop (ground). This leads us to interpret complex image arrangements in a way that makes sense to us. Other principles include grouping by proximity, where elements close to each other are perceived as a collective group, and similarity, which suggests that items that are similar tend to be seen together.