Definition: Ideas of reference involve the belief that casual events, people's remarks, etc. are referring to oneself when, in fact, they are not.
If ideas of reference reach the point of strongly held beliefs or cause impairment of functioning, they become delusions of reference.
Examples: A man reading a newspaper could incorrectly interpret a story to be about himself, or a woman might believe people were laughing at her when, in fact, they were laughing at a joke someone told.
