While standing on a bus, a man overhears a discussion about a person who is about to be terminated from his job. The man decides that the people on the bus are talking about him and that he has been targeted for termination. What is the man demonstrating?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The man is demonstrating delusions of reference, which involve the belief that irrelevant or innocuous stimuli are actually directed at oneself. In this case, the conversation about someone else being terminated is being interpreted as being about the man himself.

While Standing on a Bus, a Man Overhears a Discussion