A hospital patient walks toward the nurse's station and observes the nurse talking on the telephone. A few minutes later, the patient accuses the nurse of having called the police. The nurse should interpret this behavior as:

Explanation

•Ideas of reference are a common symptom in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The person interprets an event occurring in the environment as having particular significance or reference to themself.

•Transference is the unconscious redirection of feelings from one person to another, often from a relationship in the past.

•Reaction formation is a defensive mechanism of acting the opposite of what one thinks or feels in an exaggerated manner.

•Projection is an unconscious blaming of one's own unacceptable attributes or thoughts on someone else.

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