identification

iden·ti·fi·ca·tion

noun \ī-ˌdent-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən, ə-\

Definition of IDENTIFICATION

1

: an act of identifying : the state of being identified

2

a : psychological orientation of the self in regard to something (as a person or group) with a resulting feeling of close emotional association b : a largely unconscious process whereby an individual models thoughts, feelings, and actions after those attributed to an object that has been incorporated as a mental image