In the history of psychology, Gestalt psychology primarily attempted to discover what about human perception and thought?

Introduction / Context:
Gestalt psychology was an influential movement in early twentieth century psychology, especially in Germany. It focused on perception and argued that the whole is different from the sum of its parts. Many exam questions ask how Gestalt psychology differs from structuralism, functionalism, or psychoanalysis, and what it tried to discover about human experience.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question refers to Gestalt psychology and its main aim.
• Options mention overall patterns, unconscious motivations, adaptation, and basic building blocks.
• We assume standard textbook descriptions of Gestalt principles.
• No numerical or experimental details are required, only conceptual understanding.

Concept / Approach:
Gestalt psychology emphasised that when people perceive objects and scenes, they tend to organise sensory information into meaningful wholes or patterns, called Gestalten. The movement promoted principles such as proximity, similarity, closure, and figure ground organisation. Gestalt psychologists argued that psychological phenomena must be understood at the level of organised configurations, not by breaking them down into separate sensations or elements. Therefore, they aimed to discover overall patterns of perception and thought, not isolated bits.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the core idea of Gestalt psychology, which is that the whole is different from the sum of its parts.Step 2: Translate this into the aim of studying overall patterns or configurations in perception.Step 3: Compare this with option A, which talks about overall patterns or configurations of perceptions and thoughts.Step 4: Notice that option B refers to unconscious motivations, which is more typical of psychoanalysis.Step 5: Option C links to functionalism, and option D to structuralism, so option A clearly matches Gestalt psychology.

Verification / Alternative check:
Psychology textbooks describe Gestalt psychology as focusing on how people perceive and experience objects as whole patterns. Classic experiments include showing how people see lines and shapes as organised forms based on grouping principles. These descriptions repeatedly mention the word whole and patterns, which is in direct agreement with option A and does not match the focus of other schools of thought listed in the options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, unconscious motivations, is associated with Sigmund Freud and psychoanalytic theory, not with Gestalt psychologists. Option C, how the mind helps people adapt, is closer to functionalism, which tried to understand the purpose of mental processes. Option D, basic building blocks of consciousness, describes structuralism, which attempted to break experience down into elemental sensations. Option E, influence of genetic factors, relates more to behavioural genetics and is not central to Gestalt psychology.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the different historical schools because they all tried to build a science of mind. A useful memory aid is to link Gestalt with the phrase whole pattern, psychoanalysis with unconscious motives, functionalism with purpose or function, and structuralism with elements or building blocks. Remembering these associations prevents mixing up the aims of each school in exam questions.

Final Answer:
Gestalt psychology primarily attempted to discover The overall patterns or configurations of perceptions and thoughts that shape conscious experience.