configurationism means any theory of psychology based on configurational properties, but especially Gestalt psychology. It carries an Arena rating of 1385, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, configurationism ranks #7,545 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #9,677 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #9,713 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #11,553 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words.
Why “configurationism” is a great word
A theory of psychology, especially Gestalt psychology, that emphasizes the importance of configurational properties and the processing of whole patterns over individual elements. From configuration (from Latin configuratio, from configurare "to form after", from con- ("together") + figurare ("to form, shape")) + the suffix -ism, denoting a system, theory, or principle. First attested in 1925. Unlike atomism, which fractures experience into discrete, indivisible units, or structuralism, which dissects consciousness into catalogued sensations, configurationism insists that the mind grasps form as a unified whole, not a sum of parts. It is the melody recognized when transposed to a new key, the face known from a handful of inkblots, the sudden comprehension of a puzzle’s solution not by examining each piece but by stepping back to see the emergent picture—a quiet argument that meaning is born from relationship, and perception is not assembly but revelation.
Etymology
From configuration + -ism.
noun
- Any theory of psychology based on configurational properties, but especially Gestalt psychology
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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