Inability to censor immaterial external stimuli is known as what?

Inability to censor immaterial external stimuli is known as what?

• A. Distractibility
• B. Mood descriptors
• C. Delirium
• D. Psychotic features

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is attentional control—the ability to filter out irrelevant information and stay focused on what’s important. Inability to censor immaterial external stimuli means the person is easily pulled away from a task by anything in the environment, so their attention becomes scattered. This is classic distractibility: the mind is responsive to nonessential input, making sustained focus hard. Delirium involves a broader disruption of consciousness with fluctuating attention and confusion, usually due to a medical condition, substance, or another acute factor. It’s more than just being easily distracted. Mood descriptors refer to affective states (like depressed or elevated mood) and don’t address attention filtering. Psychotic features refer to symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations, which aren’t the same as a failure to tune out irrelevant stimuli.

The main idea here is attentional control—the ability to filter out irrelevant information and stay focused on what’s important. Inability to censor immaterial external stimuli means the person is easily pulled away from a task by anything in the environment, so their attention becomes scattered. This is classic distractibility: the mind is responsive to nonessential input, making sustained focus hard.

Delirium involves a broader disruption of consciousness with fluctuating attention and confusion, usually due to a medical condition, substance, or another acute factor. It’s more than just being easily distracted. Mood descriptors refer to affective states (like depressed or elevated mood) and don’t address attention filtering. Psychotic features refer to symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations, which aren’t the same as a failure to tune out irrelevant stimuli.