The Solarists Are a Cult Whose Members Believe That They

question 8

Multiple Choice

The Solarists are a cult whose members believe that they control the movements of the sun with special hand gestures. What would the DSM-IV say about this group?

• A) The group suffers from Shared Delusion Psychosis.
• B) The group is diagnosable because they are a cult.
• C) While some of this group's individual members may meet criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis, the DSM-IV does not diagnose groups.
• D) Because a group of persons share a belief, however strange, the group must be considered emotionally healthy.

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Definitions:

Messy Room

A disordered or chaotic state of a room where items are scattered without organization or care.

Constructivism

A theory of learning that emphasizes the role of individuals in constructing their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.

Critical Realist

An advocate or adherent of critical realism, a philosophical approach that believes the nature of reality is independent of human thoughts and beliefs but that our understanding of it is socially constructed.