Mr Carpenter is constantly afraid that he is going to oversleep and be late for work. As a result, he spends nearly an hour in total each night making certain that his alarm clock is correctly set and saying "It's set, it's set, it's set" each of the times he checks it. This repetitive action is what clinical psychologists refer to as a(n)________.
A)compulsion
B)delusion
C)hallucination
D)obsession

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Compulsion refers to repetitive behaviors or mental acts that a person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, often to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared event. Mr. Carpenter's repetitive checking of the alarm clock is a compulsion.

Mr Carpenter Is Constantly Afraid That He Is Going to Oversleep