Common Fate
A Gestalt principle that stimulus elements are likely to be perceived as a unit if they move together.
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Origin
Max Wertheimer formally described the principle in his landmark 1923 paper "Laws of Organization in Perceptual Forms," published in the German journal Psychologische Forschung. One of the three founders of Gestalt psychology, Wertheimer named the idea the "factor of uniform destiny" — a phrase translated into English as "common fate." The paper established perceptual grouping as a central problem in visual psychology, and its principles remain foundational in design and human-computer interaction.
Updated February 22, 2026