Try these settings to explore the Gestalt Laws of Proximity and Similarity. The Law of Proximity is that closer objects are grouped together. The Law of Similarity is that objects that are similar are grouped together.

The figure-ground principle states that people instinctively perceive objects as either being in the foreground or the background.

Law of Pragnanz The law of prägnanz is sometimes referred to as the law of good figure or the law of simplicity. This law holds that when you’re presented with a set of ambiguous or complex objects you’re brain will make them appear as simple as possible. The word prägnanz is a German term meaning “good figure.”

The word proximity means nearness or closeness. “Because of the proximity of our desks, I couldn’t help but notice him cheating on the exam.” Your favorite thing about your neighborhood of attached row houses might be the proximity of your neighbors — they’re really close to you.

Proximity allows people the opportunity to get to know one other and discover their similarities—all of which can result in a friendship or intimate relationship. Proximity is not just about geographic distance, but rather functional distance, or the frequency with which we cross paths with others.

Proximity sentence example

1. His close proximity sent her heart racing.
2. This time, their proximity seemed too intimate.
3. It was bad enough that she probably smelled, but the warmth from his body combined with the excitement of his proximity left her feeling a little nauseous.

A proximity sensor is a non-contact sensor that detects the presence of an object (often referred to as the “target”) when the target enters the sensor’s field. Depending on the type of proximity sensor, sound, light, infrared radiation (IR), or electromagnetic fields may be utilized by the sensor to detect a target.

‘A close proximity’ is redundant, a pleonasm. The definition of ‘proximity’ is ‘the state of being near, next, or close’. ‘Distance’ or ‘remoteness’ are antonyms of ‘proximity’. Using ‘close’, while redundant, is reinforcing the rarer word.

The physical proximity doctrine is a standard in criminal law for distinguishing between preparation and attempt. When a person makes preparation to commit a crime, and one of the preparatory acts is close or proximate to the completed crime, the preparation is considered to have merged into being an actual attempt.

Within the realm of social psychology, the proximity principle accounts for the tendency for individuals to form interpersonal relations with those who are close by. Also, proximity promotes interaction between individuals and groups, which ends up leading to liking and disliking between the groups or individuals.

Paraphrasing means formulating someone else’s ideas in your own words. To paraphrase a source, you have to rewrite a passage without changing the meaning of the original text. Paraphrasing is an alternative to quoting, where you copy someone’s exact words and put them in quotation marks.

The purpose of a paraphrase is to convey the meaning of the original message and, in doing so, to prove that you understand the passage well enough to restate it. The paraphrase should give the reader an accurate understanding of the author’s position on the topic.