We argue that 4 fundamental gestalt phenomena in perception apply to the control of motor action. First, a motor gestalt, like a perceptual gestalt, is holistic in the sense that it is processed as a single unit. This notion is consistent with reaction time results indicating that all gestures for a brief unit of action must be programmed prior to…

Children from 4 to 7 years of age were tested in a structured perceptual task in which haptic manipulation was available, but not required. The extent of haptic involvement with the stimulus material and its effect on performance in a perceptual recognition task was then determined. (Author/CB)