Forensic psychiatry: illusion: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Forensic psychiatry: illusion

Sample item

At dusk a villager shouts that a snake lies in his path, but it is a coiled rope. He accepts the correction when shown with a torch. This is best called:

AAn illusion, a misperception of a real external stimulus that normal persons can experienceBA delusion, a fixed false belief that resists correctionCA hallucination, a perception without an external stimulusDAn obsession, a recurrent intrusive thought recognised as senseless

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. An illusion, a misperception of a real external stimulus that normal persons can experience

An illusion is a false interpretation of a real sensory stimulus, favoured by poor light, fear or fatigue, and it can be corrected. A hallucination has no stimulus, and a delusion is not altered by evidence. Illusions alone do not indicate mental illness.

Option by option

A. An illusion, a misperception of a real external stimulus that normal persons can experience (correct)
Correct. A real rope was misperceived, and the error was corrected.
B. A delusion, a fixed false belief that resists correction
He accepted correction, which excludes a fixed delusion.
C. A hallucination, a perception without an external stimulus
A real stimulus (the rope) was present, so it is not a hallucination.
D. An obsession, a recurrent intrusive thought recognised as senseless
An obsession is an intrusive thought, not a misperception.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is A, An illusion, a misperception of a real external stimulus that normal persons can experience. An illusion is a false interpretation of a real sensory stimulus, favoured by poor light, fear or fatigue, and it can be corrected.

Why is "A delusion, a fixed false belief that resists correction" not the answer?

He accepted correction, which excludes a fixed delusion.

Why is "A hallucination, a perception without an external stimulus" not the answer?

A real stimulus (the rope) was present, so it is not a hallucination.

Why is "An obsession, a recurrent intrusive thought recognised as senseless" not the answer?

An obsession is an intrusive thought, not a misperception.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Forensic psychiatry: illusion in Forensic Medicine. A hallucination has no stimulus, and a delusion is not altered by evidence. Illusions alone do not indicate mental illness.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Forensic psychiatry: illusion?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.