Definition

1. Noun:
   • A psychological theory emphasizing configurational properties: In psychology, configurationism is a theoretical approach that stresses the importance of understanding phenomena as organized wholes or patterns (configurations), rather than as mere sums of their individual parts. It is closely associated with Gestalt psychology.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The psychologist's work was heavily influenced by configurationism, leading her to study perception holistically.
  • Configurationism argues that the mind naturally organizes sensory information into meaningful patterns.

Advanced Usage

• In academic discourse: The term is often used to discuss historical or theoretical contrasts in psychology, particularly against atomistic or elementalist approaches.
  • The debate between elementalism and configurationism shaped early 20th-century psychological thought.

Variants and Related Words

• Configurational (adj): Relating to or having a configuration.
  • The study focused on the configurational aspects of the visual field.
• Configure (v): To arrange or set up in a particular form or configuration.
• Configuration (n): An arrangement of elements in a particular form, figure, or combination.

Synonyms

• Gestalt psychology: A school of thought that is essentially synonymous with configurationism, emphasizing holistic perception.
• Holism: A broader concept emphasizing that systems should be viewed as wholes, not just collections of parts.

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Meaning: The term almost exclusively refers to the Gestalt school of thought in psychology. The reference to "comparative cultural studies" from another dictionary is a highly specialized or potentially erroneous usage not found in standard psychological or English-language lexicons like WordNet. The core definition provided is the correct and primary one.

Noun

1. (psychology) a theory of psychology that emphasizes the importance of configurational properties