KIRAN KUMARI

Assistant Professor
Department of Education
S. SINHA COLLEGE, AURANHGABAD, BIHAR

B.Ed.-(1st year)
Course-: III-Learning and Teaching

THEORY OF LEARNING BY INSIGHT

I. Introduction
Max Wertheimer is the father of Gestalt Theory. Later on, Wertheimer’s
theory was further refined and developed by Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Kohler.
C.V.Good defines gestalt-configration, total structure, form or shape, a term
designating an undivided articulate as a whole that cannot be made by the more
addition of independent elements, the nature of each element depending on its
relationship to the whole. The term ‘gestalt’ means a whole, a total composition.
According to this theory, an individual learns an object as a whole, a single entity,
not in parts or bits. In other words, an individual’s understanding of an object
comprehends the whole object, not merely parts or bits of the object. This theory
can be summed up in the succinct statement: ‘The whole is greater than the sum of
its parts.’

II. Life sketch of Kohler

Kohler was born on 21st January, 1887 in the port city of Reval (now
Tallinn), Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire. His family was of German
origin, and shortly after his birth they moved back to that country. There raised in a
setting of teachers, nurses and other scholars he developed lifelong interests in the
science as well as the arts and especially in music. In the course of his University
Education he studied at the University of Tubingen (1905-06), the University of
Bonn (1906-07) and the University of Berlin (1907-09). In completing his Ph.D.
for which his dissertation addressed certain aspects of psychoacoustics. In 1910-
13, he was an assistant at the Psychological Institute in Franfurt in which he
worked with fellow psychologists; Max Wertheimer and Kurt Koffka. He
immigrated to U S in 1935. And he died on 11th June 1967 in Enfield, New
Hampshire.

III. Kohler’s Experiments

In order to establish the existence of insight, Kohler conducted a number of
experiments on a chimpanzee named Sultan. Although he conducted a number of
other experiments on dogs, hens, and other creatures, his experiments with Sultan
were the most noteworthy. Kohler divided his experiment in to four steps.
1. Experiment- Sultan was placed in a cage. A stick was placed in the cage and a
banana just outside the cage, but outside Sultans direct reach. Sultan made many
attempts to obtain the banana but it failed. It sat down in despair. But, after
sometime it suddenly got up, lifted the stick and used it to draw the banana towards
itself.
2. Experiment- In the second stage, Kohler placed inside the cage two sticks
which could be joined to each other. This time the banana was so placed that it
could not be drown by the chimpanzee towards itself with a single stick. After
numerous attempts, Sultan joined the two sticks together and succeeded in
obtaining the banana.
3. Experiment- In the third step, Kohler hung the banana from the roof of the cage
of such a height as to ensure that Sultan could not reach it even by jumping
upwards. A box was also placed inside the cage. After many attempts, Sultan
climbed up on the box and obtained the bananas.
4. Experiment- In the final step, Kohler placed two boxes at one place in the cage
the banana was placed at an even high level. At first, Sultan kept on trying to reach
the banana by standing up on one box, but after numerous failures, it placed one
box upon the other and claiming quit obtained the banana.

IV. Factors Influencing Insight

Many experiments have thrown light upon and established the various
factors which influence insight. Some of them are mentioned below;
1. Experience - Past experiences help in the insightful solution of the problems. A
child cannot solve the problems of Modern Mathematics unless he is well
acquainted with its symbolic language.
2. Intelligence – Insightful solution depends upon the basic intelligence of the
learner. The more intelligent the individual is the greater will be his insight.
3. Learning Situation – How insightfully the organism will react depends upon
the situation in which he has to act. Some situations are more favorable than the
others for insightful solution. As a common observation, insight occurs when the
learning situation is so arranged that all the necessary aspects are open for
observation.
4. Initial Efforts or Trial and Error – Insightful learning has to pass through the
process of trial and error. Whatever an activity may be, attempts or efforts or trials
always lie at its root. This opens the way for insightful learning.
5. Repetition and Generalization – After having an insightful solution of a
particular type of problem, the organism tries to repeat it in another situation,
demanding similar type of solution. The way found in one situation helps him to
react insightfully in the other identical situations.

V. Characteristics of Insight
The above mentioned experiments make it quite obvious that learning by
insight has certain characteristics of its own. They are briefly as follows;
1. Insight is sudden.
2. Insight alters perception.
3. Old objects appear in new patterns and organization by virtue of insight.
4. Insight is relative to the intellectual level. The higher species of animals
including human beings have more insight than the members of lower species.
5. In insight, understanding is more useful than dexterity of hands.
6. Previous experience is of assistance in insight. An organized perception is an
essential factor in learning.
7. Maturity also affects insight as evidenced by the smoother working of insight in
older age than in adolescence.
8. If the pieces essential for the solution of the puzzle are present together when
perceived, insight comes about earlier.
9. Learning by insight is associative learning. Insight appears suddenly after the
manipulation of thoughts or objects for a small, through significant length of time.
10. The insight gained in particular circumstances is of assistance in other
circumstances.

VI. Principles Involved in Insightful Learning

There are principles involved in perceptual organization or insightful learning.
Some of the basic laws propounded by Gestalt psychologists are as follows;
1. Law of figure ground: Everything is perceived in the context of its background.
Thus, close relationship is there between figure and ground. For example, we try to
solve a sum by using the means that closed areas are more stable and satisfying
than the unclosed ones. Closed areas form groups very easily. This law is also
called law of closure.
2. Law of pragnanz: An organism is motivated to learn when there is tension or
disequilibrium of forces in the psychological field. Learning is the removal of this
tension. When we perceive an object, we find some gaps in our perceptions. These
gaps are filled by the perceiver and a whole figure is prepared.
3. Law of continuity: Objects having continuity are learnt easily because they can
easily make a whole.
4. Law of similarity: this law makes the individual to grasp things which are
similar. They are picked out as they were from the total context. Similar ideas and
experiences get associated. An object revives another object which resembles or
looks similar to it. For example, seeing a man and remembering an intimate friend
by some resemblance though never saw them together in the past.
5. Law of proximity: this law states the proximate or near together things are
picked up first and learnt easily than distant things. In other words, perceptual
grounds are favoured according to the nearness of their respective parts. Items tend
to form groups if they are spaced together. For instance, a triangle or a circle is
understood in this way.

VII. Educational Implications

1. Subject matter (learning material) should be presented in Gestalt form. The plant
or flower as a whole be presented before the students and later on the parts should
be emphasized.
2. In the organization of the syllabus and planning of the curriculum, the Gestalt
principle should be given due consideration. A particular subject should not be
treated as the mere collection of isolated facts or topics. It should be closely
integrated into a whole. Similarly the curriculum should reflect unity and
cohesiveness.
3. This theory has brought motivation in the fore-front by assigning purpose and
motive, the central role in learning process. It is goal oriented. Purpose or goals of
learning should be made clear to the students, before the teacher starts teaching.
4. The greater contribution of the insight theory of learning is that it has made
learning an intelligent task requiring mental abilities. It has called a halt to the age
old mechanical memorization, drill and practice work which lack in basic
understanding and use of thinking, reasoning and creative mental powers.
5. It emphasizes that the learner must be given opportunities for using his mental
abilities. Instead of telling him, how to do a work or solve a problem, he should be
placed in the position of an independent enquirer and discoverer. He should
himself collect the information and discover the knowledge. The teacher should
not engage himself in spoon-feeding but help the children in acquiring knowledge
and skill through their own attempts by using their mental powers. Scientific and
progressive methods like Heuristic method, analytic and problem solving, which
advocate the learning by insight, should be made more popular.
 6. If the teacher believes in the theory of insight learning he seeks, to overcome
impatience as the moment of insight is unpredictable and sudden. He must give his
students a chance to fumble and search for the solution. This fumbling and search
is more than trial and error procedure. It is purposeful experimentation. It is a goal
directed activity.
7. The teacher must realize the necessity of preliminary steps of experimentation
and purposeful search so that the child may become capable of understanding or
perceiving cause and effect relationships.
8. As an arrangement of the elements in the situation conditions insight, the teacher
determines the methods and order of presentation that will prove most helpful.
9. As insight depends upon capacity, all pupils are not able to use insight in an
equal measure. The teacher recognizes differences in capacity and age and
understands classroom implications of readiness.
10. The teacher will have build up insight step by step; be it History, Geometry or
Language, some insight is sudden but the learner always has partial (glimpses)
insight of the total.
11. The function of the teacher is the teaching learning situation to help the child to
perceive the goal and the intervening obstacles. If the goal is too difficult in terms
of the pupil’s present development, it must be made easier or its pursuit may be
delayed. In a situation, where an obstacle blocks the perception or achievement of
the goal the teacher may take the following three steps-
a) Allow the pupil to grow by waiting or by providing preparatory experiences and
knowledge that will increase his power.
b) Make the problem less difficult. Get easier text-books. Use more immediate
goals. Find more concrete problems.
c) Give the pupil some help, offer suggestions, hints, clues, show him how to take
specific steps and arrange sequential approach.
12. If the goal is too difficult to reach and the child is forced to achieve it, without
making it easier or without delaying its achievement, so the child will develop the
tendency to escape. By making the task easier, there shall be partial insights which
mean relief from tension.
13. If insight is to be achieved, school-tasks must not be too difficult to perform.
They must be appropriate to the understanding of the child on the part of the
student and there are more failures in examination, when the work is too difficult
for the pupils to achieve insight, or when explanations by the teacher or by the text
books are no sufficiently clear. The theory of insight learning lays especial
emphasis upon understanding to achieve success.
14. The teacher should not be frustrated if in spite of his hard labour, pupils show
progress and do not understand a particular problem. The progress of growth is
always slow.
15. Insight lays emphasis on maturation. If the child is not mature enough let him
grow by waiting. Maturation is an important factor in the ability to perceive clearly
the relationship in the total situation and thus achieve insight.
16. Development of insight is possible when goal are clearly defined. When the
learner accepts the goal, he will exert energy to achieve the goal. The student
should be led to discuss both the immediate and ultimate goals of learning. The
teacher should preview the activities involved and the problems to be faced. In this
way, he should lead the pupil to see the total situation at the beginning. For
examples; teaching a novel and teaching Chemistry where preview is needed.
17. The theory helps the learner to develop reasoning, thinking and imagination
powers and thus their creative potentials are always encouraged.

VIII. Criticism
Some of the main objections against the gestalt theory are the following;
1. Gestalt is a composite of Psychology and Philosophy of Education.
2. Every kind of learning for example; reading, writing, speaking etc., cannot be
satisfactorily explained by the laws of Gestalt.
3. Some scholars opine that the insight inherent in gestalt cannot be ascribed to
children and animals because they lack power of thought. However it is often
observed in daily life that even very young infants display insight in many of their
activities.
4. Trial and error is an essential element in gestalt at one stage or the other