Final answer:
Thought insertion is a delusional symptom in psychology, considered a positive symptom in the context of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, where an individual perceives that thoughts not their own are being placed into their mind.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thought insertion is a delusional symptom in psychology. It is classified as a type of delusion where an individual believes that thoughts that are not their own are being inserted into their mind by an external source. This symptom is associated with certain psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia, and is considered one of the "positive" symptoms in the diagnosis of such disorders. Positive symptoms refer to the presence of unusual thoughts, behaviors, or perceptions that are not usually observed in healthy individuals.
The concept of thought insertion does not align with the notion of a substitution heuristic, which is a cognitive process where a difficult question is replaced with an easier one for the purpose of arriving at a solution more comfortably. This heuristic can lead to incorrect judgment or decision-making, illustrating a different aspect of cognitive function compared to the delusory experiences in psychiatric conditions.