Final answer:
Function is NOT one of the basic Gestalt principles that determine how stimuli are pre-attentively grouped in a display. Instead, closure, proximity, and similarity are fundamental principles guiding this aspect of perception.
Step-by-step explanation:
The basic principles that guide how stimuli are pre-attentively grouped together in a display include closure, proximity, and similarity. However, function is NOT one of these basic grouping principles in the context of Gestalt psychology.
According to the Gestalt principle of proximity, elements that are close to each other tend to be perceived as a group, as seen in Figure 5.26, where one sees a block of dots on one side and columns on the other. Similarity indicates that items that look alike will be grouped together, such as when viewers group players wearing the same color uniform in a football game.
The principle of closure involves perceiving incomplete figures as complete, which allows us to fill in gaps to create a whole object. Function, which refers to the purpose of objects or elements, is not a principle used in visual grouping according to Gestalt principles.