While attending a cocktail party, you find you can clearly hear one particular conversation above all the others, even though that conversation is not very loud. To a Gestalt psychologist, the conversation represents the ________, and the rest of the party is the ________.
A) figure; ground
B) object; ground
C) object; subject
D) pattern; whole

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is because the concept of figure-ground perception in Gestalt psychology refers to the tendency of the brain to separate a visual scene into the main object of focus (the "figure") and the background or context that surrounds it (the "ground"). In this scenario, the conversation that is clearly heard is the "figure" and the rest of the party becomes the "ground."

While Attending a Cocktail Party, You Find You Can Clearly