Figure-Ground Principle

Definition

The figure-ground principle is a perceptual organizing principle that states that we naturally perceive objects as being either the foreground (figure) or the background (ground) in a visual scene. It refers to our ability to distinguish an object from its surroundings.

Related terms

Proximity:

This term refers to the fact that we tend to group together objects that are close to each other spatially.

Closure:

Closure is when we mentally complete incomplete figures by filling in missing information based on past experiences or expectations.

Continuity:

Continuity explains how our brain tends to interpret intersecting lines as continuous rather than separate entities.