Which term describes beliefs that body or actions are manipulated by an outside force?

• A. Delusions of Control
• B. Non-bizarre delusions
• C. Delusion vs. Strongly held Conviction
• D. Hallucinations

Answer: (A)

Beliefs that one’s body or actions are being controlled by an outside force reflect a disturbance of sense of agency—the feeling that external power is directing what you think, do, or feel. This is a delusional belief: it is fixed, false, and held with conviction despite contrary evidence. It’s classically called a delusion of control and is often seen in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, sometimes accompanied by experiences of the thoughts or movements being inserted or withdrawn by others.

Non-bizarre delusions describe other plausible but false beliefs about reality, not specifically about control of the body or actions. Hallucinations are perceptual experiences—hearing, seeing, or feeling things—that aren’t real. A strongly held conviction or overvalued idea can be mistaken for a delusion, but delusions are characterized by their fixed, unreasonable nature and lack of insight.