The ability to perceive a unitary object despite the fact that parts of it are out of sight or partly occluded. In infancy, common motion of parts leading to constant deletion and accretion of background, and Gestalt good form, contribute to perception of object unity. When they do not share a common translation, then the ends are perceived as belonging to different objects. These findings apply to infants as young as 4 months. They also apply to haptic perception [recognizing the properties of objects (e.g., shape, size) mainly through touch, but also in conjunction with proprioception].
See Gestalt good form, Illusory contours, Object identity, Object segregation, Proprioception, Somatosensory cortex