Individuation

Abstract

Within psychology, the term "individuation" is used in several different ways. In person perception, it refers to perceiving a person as a unique constellation of features rather than as a category representative. In psychoanalytic and developmental psychology, it refers to one's sense of identity as an individual, autonomous, and separate person, and in family systems psychology, it concerns the degree to which a person maintains age-appropriate separateness and connectedness with their family. Finally, in perception and cognition, the individuation of objects refers to the ability to discern coherent objects from their surrounds, such that they can be counted.