Psychosis Quiz

See Definitions. Option E is correct because a delusion is a fixed, firmly held belief that is usually false, that falls outside the person's cultural norms, and that is unshakable: it cannot be reasoned away even when clear evidence is shown. The cultural point matters because a belief that is held within the person's religious or cultural group is normally not considered delusional. Delusions are one of the two classic psychotic symptoms. The other is a hallucination, a sensory perception without a stimulus, such as hearing voices when nobody is speaking. Examples of delusions include delusions of reference (the belief that ordinary events carry a special message for the person, such as people on the radio talking about them), delusions of control (the belief that thoughts or actions are controlled by others) and delusions of persecution (the belief that others are plotting against the person). Patients often lack insight, meaning they do not accept that the belief might be false. Psychosis is a collection of symptoms and not a diagnosis in itself. A helpful memory aid is that a delusion is a problem of belief, while a hallucination is a problem of perception.

• Definition: a delusion is a fixed, firmly held belief that is usually false.
• Culture: it falls outside the person's cultural norms.
• Resistance: it cannot be reasoned away even when clear evidence is shown.
• Contrast: a hallucination is a sensory perception without a stimulus, so a delusion is a problem of belief and a hallucination a problem of perception.