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Form perception is the recognition of objects in a certain environment. An object is perceived by the retina as a two dimensional image, but the image can vary for the same object in terms of the context with which it is viewed, the apparent size of the object, the angle from which it is viewed, how illuminated it is, as well as where it resides in the field of vision. Despite the fact that each instance of observing an object leads to a unique retinal response pattern, the visual processing in the brain is capable of recognizing these experiences as analogous, allowing invariant object recognition. Visual processing occurs in a hierarchy with the lowest levels recognizing lines and contours, and slightly higher levels performing tasks such as completing boundaries and recognizing contour combinations. The highest levels integrate the perceived information to recognize an entire object. Essentially object recognition is the ability to assign labels to objects in order to categorize and identify them, thus distinguishing one object from another. During visual processing information is not created, but rather reformatted in a way that draws out the most detailed information of the stimulus.<ref name=dicarlo

Theories
It is not fully understood how the brain completes the process of object recognition;however there are several notable theories. The Gestalt Theory is that form perception does not occur by perception of single objects, but by considering the total configuration. The Gestalt Movement, popular after World War I, is currently thought to be founded on research that was too subjective. Another and more currently popular theory is that perception is derived from the ability of a human to organize his or her total experience, including "physiological growth experiences that precede...the formal experience of learning." .

Aging
Whether or not visual form learning is retained in older humans is unknown. Studies prove that training causes improvement in form perception in both young and old adults. Learning to integrate local elements is negatively affected by age, however.