079 Law of Prägnanz
A tendency to interpret images as simple and complete versus complex and incomplete.
• One of the Gestalt principles of perception.
• When people are presented with a set of elements that can be interpreted in different ways, they tend to assume the simplest interpretation.
• For example, the characters :-) are interpreted as a smiling face versus three separate characters.
• The law applies similarly to the way in which images are recalled from memory. For example, people recall the positions of countries on maps as more aligned and symmetrical than they are in reality.
• Generally, people are better able to interpret and remember simple figures than complex figures.
• Consider the Law of Prägnanz when depicting and interpreting images. Favor simplicity and symmetry to facilitate visual processing, and favor complexity and asymmetry to impede visual processing.
See Also Closure • Depth of Processing • Good Continuation
