GTA – International Society for Gestalt Theory and its Applications (GTA)

The Society for Gestalt Theory and its Applications e.V. (GTA) was founded in 1978 and now has members in many European and non-European countries. In addition to psychologists, it also includes researchers and practitioners from numerous other disciplines.

Society for Gestalt Theory

The goal of the Society is to promote science, research, and practice based on Gestalt theory. The foundation and starting point of the approach it represents is the Gestalt theory of the Berlin School. The GTA sees itself as an organizational framework for the promotion, dissemination, and further development of Gestalt theoretical insights in various scientific disciplines and practical fields of work.

What is Gestalt theory?

Gestalt theory is an interdisciplinary general theory that provides the framework for various psychological insights and their applications. Humans are understood as open systems, actively engaging with their environment. Gestalt theory is particularly an approach to understanding the emergence of order in psychological processes, rooted in the insights of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Ernst Mach, and especially Christian von Ehrenfels, as well as the research of Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, Kurt Koffka, and Kurt Lewin. These pioneers opposed the elementarism of the psyche, associationism, behaviorism, and drive-based theories. The rise of National Socialism largely interrupted the fruitful scientific development of Gestalt theory in German-speaking regions: Wertheimer, Köhler, and Lewin emigrated or were forced to flee, while Koffka had already relocated to the United States. The Society for Gestalt Theory and its Applications considers its primary mission to provide a scientific and organizational framework for continuing and further developing Gestalt theoretical approaches in research and practice. Gestalt theory is not limited to the concepts of “gestalt” or “wholes” and the factors of perception, as many publications suggest, but should be understood in a much broader and more comprehensive way:

The primacy of the phenomenal: Recognizing and taking seriously the human experiential world as the only directly given reality, rather than dismissing it, is a fundamental statement of Gestalt theory. Its potential for psychology and psychotherapy remains far from fully realized.
The interaction of the individual and the situation in a dynamic field: Experience and behavior are determined by this interaction, not solely by “drives” (psychoanalysis, ethology), external forces (behaviorism, Skinner), or fixed personality traits (classical personality theory).
Connections between psychological phenomena: These are more easily and durably established based on substantive relationships rather than through repetition and reinforcement.
Thinking and problem-solving: These processes are characterized by subject-appropriate structuring, restructuring, and centering of the given (“insight”) toward what is required.
Memory develops and differentiates structures based on associative linkages, following a tendency toward optimal organization.
Incompatible cognitions within a person lead to dissonant experiences and cognitive processes aimed at reducing this dissonance.
In a super-individual whole like a group, there is a tendency toward balanced relations in the interplay of forces and needs.

The rise of National Socialism largely interrupted the fruitful scientific development of Gestalt theory in German-speaking regions: Wertheimer, Köhler, and Lewin emigrated or were forced to flee, while Koffka had already relocated to the United States. The Society for Gestalt Theory and its Applications considers its primary mission to provide a scientific and organizational framework for continuing and further developing Gestalt theoretical approaches in research and practice. Gestalt theory is not limited to the concepts of “gestalt” or “wholes” and the factors of perception, as many publications suggest, but should be understood in a much broader and more comprehensive way:

The primacy of the phenomenal: Recognizing and taking seriously the human experiential world as the only directly given reality, rather than dismissing it, is a fundamental statement of Gestalt theory. Its potential for psychology and psychotherapy remains far from fully realized.
The interaction of the individual and the situation in a dynamic field: Experience and behavior are determined by this interaction, not solely by “drives” (psychoanalysis, ethology), external forces (behaviorism, Skinner), or fixed personality traits (classical personality theory).
Connections between psychological phenomena: These are more easily and durably established based on substantive relationships rather than through repetition and reinforcement.
Thinking and problem-solving: These processes are characterized by subject-appropriate structuring, restructuring, and centering of the given (“insight”) toward what is required.
Memory develops and differentiates structures based on associative linkages, following a tendency toward optimal organization.
Incompatible cognitions within a person lead to dissonant experiences and cognitive processes aimed at reducing this dissonance.
In a super-individual whole like a group, there is a tendency toward balanced relations in the interplay of forces and needs.

Epistemologically, the Gestalt theoretical approach corresponds to a critical-realist standpoint. On the methodological level, an attempt is made to create a meaningful connection between experimental and phenomenological approaches (the experimental-phenomenological method). Central phenomena are addressed without compromising experimental rigor. Gestalt theory is not to be understood as a fixed scientific position but as an evolving paradigm. Through developments such as the theory of self-organization of systems, it is gaining significance beyond the traditional scope of psychology.

What does the GTA do?

The goal of the Society is the further development of Gestalt theory in both fundamental and applied areas, as well as the promotion of interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Society organizes a scientific conference every two years, which serves both to discuss central theoretical positions and to exchange information about ongoing Gestalt theoretical work and projects. The official conference languages are German and English.

Some members are organized into dedicated subgroups and working groups. Their aim is to explore and utilize Gestalt theoretical concepts as a solid foundation for various fields of application. These areas currently include psychotherapy, education, art and design, medicine, and sports. Additionally, workshops on various topics are informally offered to all members.

The official publication organ of the GTA is the journal Gestalt Theory: An International Multidisciplinary Journal, published three times a year. It features original works that contribute to the advancement of Gestalt theoretical research and application practices. Moreover, historically significant but hard-to-access publications are republished. This initiative seeks to address the incomplete reception of Gestalt theoretical writings caused by the emigration of prominent Gestalt theorists in the 1930s.

Who can become a member?

Since the Gestalt theoretical approach is inherently interdisciplinary, it allows for productive connections between various fields. For this reason, anyone who is capable and willing to promote Gestalt theoretical thinking and practice in the research and application contexts of their respective scientific discipline can become a member of the GTA.

Become a Member