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Delusions

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Comprehensive Handbook of Psychopathology

Abstract

The delusion is one of the most puzzling phenomena in the spectrum of psychopathology. Explanations of the etiology of delusions have ranged from hypotheses about defects in the ability to think logically to projections of unacceptable inner impulses. In this paper, we examine descriptions and definitions of delusions, review the incidence and types of delusions, consider various hypotheses about the underlying pathology that delusions seem to reflect, and offer an integration of the data available in the form of a new hypothesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Social Relations, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA

    Brendan Maher & Julie S. Ross

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  1. Brendan Maher
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  2. Julie S. Ross
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA

    Henry E. Adams Ph.D.

  2. Psychology Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Patricia B. Sutker Ph.D.

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Maher, B., Ross, J.S. (1984). Delusions. In: Adams, H.E., Sutker, P.B. (eds) Comprehensive Handbook of Psychopathology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6681-6_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6681-6_14

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