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Gestalt Theory

- a dissenting view to the associative view of memory
- insight: not just simple connections between stimuli and response; but perceiving stimuli in new ways (e.g. apes solving puzzles to get food)
- knowledge comes from more than just experience -> the knower imposes organization on sensory data
- Gestalt: configuration, organization
- Four characteristics of insightful learning (Driscoll 2000, p. 24)

1) After a period of inactivity or trial and error, the learner suddenly and completely grasps the solution.

2) The learner performs the solution in a smooth and errorless fashion.

3) The learner retains the solution for a very long time.

4) The learner can easily apply a principle gained through insight to other, similar problems.
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