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Hermann von Helmholtz

Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโ€ขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025

Definition

Hermann von Helmholtz was a German physicist and physician who made significant contributions to understanding perception. He proposed the concept of unconscious inference, suggesting that perception is an active process where the brain fills in missing information based on past experiences and expectations.