Smooth continuous patterns refer to the tendency of our perceptual system to organize sensory information into a coherent and uninterrupted whole. It is the principle that suggests we perceive connected and flowing patterns rather than abrupt or disconnected ones.
Related terms
Gestalt Principles: These are a set of principles that explain how we organize visual stimuli into meaningful wholes based on certain rules, such as proximity and similarity.
Figure-Ground Perception: This refers to our ability to distinguish an object (the figure) from its surrounding background (the ground).
Closure: Closure is the tendency to mentally complete incomplete figures by filling in missing gaps based on surrounding visual cues.