Patrick wakes up one morning to find that he has developed an enormous pimple right on the end of his nose. All throughout the school day he is absolutely sure that everyone is staring at the blemish, when in reality almost nobody cares enough about it to even look. Patrick's certainty that he is the focus of others' attention demonstrates ____.

Question

Patrick wakes up one morning to find that he has developed an enormous pimple right on the end of his nose. All throughout the school day he is absolutely sure that everyone is staring at the blemish, when in reality almost nobody cares enough about it to even look. Patrick's certainty that he is the focus of others' attention demonstrates ____.​

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Patrick's belief that everyone is looking at his pimple even though they are not is an example of the imaginary audience, which is the belief that one is constantly being watched and judged by others. This is a common experience in adolescence and is related to the egocentrism that characterizes this developmental stage.

Patrick Wakes Up One Morning to Find That He Has