A false belief unexplained by reality, shared by several people is:

Appeared in: HP CHO -9 October 2022

Explanation

Superstition is a false belief or practice shared by a group or culture.
It is not based on reality or scientific evidence.
Superstitions are collective and not considered pathological unless they impair functioning.
Delusions are individual, fixed false beliefs not shared by the person's culture.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option B: Illusion is a misperception or misinterpretation of a real external stimulus, not a belief.
Option C: Delusion is a fixed, false belief held by an individual, not explained by cultural or group norms, and persists despite evidence to the contrary.
Option D: Obsession refers to recurrent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, urges, or images that cause distress, not a shared belief.

Related Visual

Comparison of Superstition, Illusion, Delusion, and Obsession with definitions and examples for each.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Classification of false beliefs: superstition vs delusion vs illusion vs obsession as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must distinguish between culturally shared beliefs (superstitions) and pathological beliefs (delusions) during mental status examination.
Mislabeling a cultural belief as a delusion can lead to misdiagnosis and inappropriate care.
What if? If the belief is not shared by the person's culture and persists despite evidence, it should be classified as a delusion, not a superstition.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the core feature in the stem: shared false belief.
Recall definitions of psychiatric terms: superstition, illusion, delusion, obsession.
Eliminate options that refer to individual experiences or perceptions.
Choose the term that best fits a collective, culturally transmitted belief.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Classification of false beliefs: superstition vs delusion vs illusion vs obsession
Stem keywords: false belief, shared by several people, unexplained by reality
Lead-in keywords: definition, psychiatric terminology
Clinical cues: Shared belief indicates cultural or group phenomenon

Question ID

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Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 3802-3804, 3249-3251, 3801-3803

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