Definitions: Alterations in Thought Content and Process

Question 1

Delusions of Control

Answer 1

the belief that one’s thoughts, feelings, or will are being controlled by outside forces
- Thought insertion
- Thought broadcasting
- Ideas of reference

Question 2

Thought insertion

Answer 2

the belief that thoughts or ideas are being inserted into one’s mind by someone or something external to one’s self

Question 3

Thought broadcasting

Answer 3

the belief that one’s thoughts are obvious to others or are being broadcast to the world

Question 4

ideas of reference

Answer 4

the belief that other people, objects, and events are related to or have a special significance for one’s self (e.g., a person on television is talking to or about him or her)

Question 5

Paranoid delusions

Answer 5

an irrational distrust of others and/or the belief that others are harassing, cheating, threatening, or intending one harm

Question 6

Bizarre delusions

Answer 6

an absurd or totally implausible belief

Question 7

Somatic delusions

Answer 7

a false belief involving the body or bodily functions

Question 8

Delusion of grandeur

Answer 8

an exaggerated belief of one’s importance or power

Question 9

Religious Delusions

Answer 9

the belief that one is an agent of or specially favoured by a greater being

Question 10

Depersonalization

Answer 10

the belief that one’s self or one’s body is strange or unreal

Question 11

Magical thinking

Answer 11

the belief that one’s thoughts, words, or actions have the power to cause or prevent things to happen; similar to Jean Piaget’s notion of the preoperational thinking of young children

Question 12

Erotomania

Answer 12

the belief that someone (often a public figure) unknown to the individual is in love with them or involved in a relationship with them

Question 13

Nihilism

Answer 13

the belief that one is dead or nonexistent

Question 14

Obsession

Answer 14

a repetitive thought, emotion, or impulse

Question 15

Phobia

Answer 15

a persistent, exaggerated and irrational fear

Question 16

Loosening of association

Answer 16

the lack of a logical relationship between thoughts and ideas; conversation shifts from one topic to another in a completely unrelated manner, making it confusing and difficult to follow

Question 17

Circumstantiality

Answer 17

the individual takes a long time to make a point because his or her conversation is indirect and contains excessive and unnecessary detail

Question 18

Tangentiality

Answer 18

similar to circumstantiality, except that the speaker does not return to a central point or answer the question posed

Question 19

Thought blocking

Answer 19

an abrupt pause or interruption in one’s train of thoughts, after which the individual cannot recall what he or she was saying

Question 20

Neologisms

Answer 20

the creation of new words

Question 21

Flight of ideas

Answer 21

rapid, continuous verbalization, with frequent shifting from one topic to another

Question 22

Word salad

Answer 22

an incoherent mixture of words and phrases

Question 23

Perseveration

Answer 23

a persisting response to a stimulus even after a new stimulus has been presented

Question 24

Clang association

Answer 24

the use of words or phrases that have similar sounds but are not associated in meaning; may include rhyming or puns

Question 25

Echolalia

Answer 25

the persistent echoing or repetition of words or phrases said by others

Question 26

Verbigeration

Answer 26

the meaningless repetition of incoherent words or sentences; typically associated with psychotic states and cognitive impairment

Question 27

Pressured speech

Answer 27

speech that is increased in rate and volume and is often emphatic and difficult to interrupt; typically associated with mania or hypomania