Participate in this week’s discussion. Pertinent information for the discussions are located in the Resources section.
1. The main PURPOSE of this module is … is to understand how gestalt psychology, mental illness and
psychoanalysis can tie together in the psychological aspects.
2. The key QUESTION(S) at the heart of the module is/are … What is gestalt psychology? What is mental illness?
What is psychoanalysis?
3. The most important INFORMATION in this module is … gestalt psychology rooted from two German phrases:
configuration and form. Some early German psychologist made it their duty to explain how humans
experiences life in a more meaningful and configuration way. The founder of gestalt psychology was Max
Wertheimer who was influenced by Christian von Ehrenfels. Wertheimer was not the only person to be heavily
involved in the making of gestalt psychology, but also Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Köhler. The terms describing
mental illness is the only thing that has developed differently in this new era. There are two new psychology
words to describe mental illness. These terms are known as “psychopathology and abnormal behavior” (pg.
456). There is huge amounts of conscious theories until one group, the psychoanalysis, came along and wanted
to show individuals in all sorts of relative fields that the study of unconsciousness is just as important. A special
occasion happened during the making of psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud gave the founding acknowledgment
to another student, Josef Breuer, who was the one to come up with the first study on psychoanalysis,
4. The main INFERENCE(S) in this module is/are … the topic on gestalt psychology focused on humans ability to
learn, think, develop and so much more. What started the gestalt psychology was Wertheimer’s experience on
the motion of light. If two objects of light were moving at a slow pace, 30 milliseconds, then humans could see
both strands, but if the lights were moving faster, 60 milliseconds, then humans saw only one strand of light.
Even though the name for mental illness has changed, the description has remained the same. Psychologist
who specialize in diagnosing patients look for individuals who seem to be emotionally unstable, someone who
has a fractured state of mind, people who have an unusual psychopathological diagnosis and patients that
show sign of excessive control and/or behavior.
5. The key CONCEPT(S) we need to understand in this module is/are … gestalt psychology looks at the bigger
picture when it comes to objects. When we perceive fast motion objects, we are only able to see the whole
thing. Mental illnesses can develop over a short or long period of time. One may develop a mental illness by
changing their thinking, and emotional behavior. … By these concepts the author means … the human mind is
