Abstraction is the process of generalization by reducing the information content of a concept or an observable phenomenon, typically in order to retain only information which is relevant for a particular purpose. For example, abstracting a leather soccer ball to a ball retains only the information on general ball attributes and behaviour. Similarly, abstracting an emotional state to happiness reduces the amount of information conveyed about the emotional state.
Thought process
In philosophical terminology, abstraction is the thought process wherein ideas are distanced from object.Abstraction uses a strategy of simplification, wherein formerly concrete details are left ambiguous, vague, or undefined; thus effective communication about things in the abstract requires an intuitive or common experience between the communicator and the communication recipient.For example, many different things can be red. Likewise, many things sit on surfaces (as in picture 1, to the right). The property
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstracta