Final answer:
Gestalt psychologists introduced principles of perception like figure-ground, grouping, and closure to explain how we perceive objects as wholes rather than in parts, which has significantly influenced the study of sensation and perception.
Step-by-step explanation:
The idea that the whole is different than the sum of its parts led Gestalt psychologists to propose a number of principles of perception to explain the way elements are grouped together to create larger objects. These principles include the figure-ground relationship, grouping by proximity or similarity, the law of good continuation, and closure. These principles help us understand how our perceptions are organized and why we perceive things as complete objects rather than as a series of parts. For example, the principle of closure explains our tendency to fill in gaps and see a complete, unified object even when parts of it are missing. Likewise, the principle of proximity suggests that objects that are close to each other are perceived as part of the same group. Through these principles, Gestalt psychology has played a significant role in our understanding of sensation and perception.