Delusion vs hallucination

• A. A delusion is a fixed, false belief not amenable to reason; a hallucination is a perceptual experience without external stimulus.
• B. Delusion is a perceptual experience without external stimulus; hallucination is a fixed false belief
• C. Delusion is a mood disorder symptom; hallucination is a sleep-related phenomenon
• D. Delusion and hallucination are interchangeable terms

Answer: (B)

Delusions and hallucinations involve different kinds of symptoms, and knowing which is which helps in understanding psychotic experiences. A delusion is a fixed, false belief held with strong conviction despite evidence to the contrary and regardless of cultural norms. A hallucination is a perceptual experience—such as hearing voices or seeing things—that occurs without any external stimulus. In short, delusions concern what a person believes, while hallucinations concern what a person perceives.

If an option reverses these definitions, it would be inaccurate because it would swap belief with perception. The other choices introduce ideas like mood disorder symptoms or sleep-related phenomena, or treat the two terms as interchangeable, none of which capture the essential distinction.