Intentional infliction of severe emotional distress is a tort where someone, through extreme and outrageous behavior, intentionally or recklessly causes severe emotional distress to another.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It requires intent to cause only minor distress
• D. It does not require outrageous conduct

Answer: (A)

The concept tested is the elements of intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED). The statement describes that IIED occurs when someone, through extreme and outrageous behavior, intentionally or recklessly causes severe emotional distress in another. This is the essence of IIED: outrageous conduct plus intent or reckless disregard, leading to severe emotional distress, with causation linking the conduct to the distress. The distress must be severe, not merely minor or trivial, and the conduct must be truly extreme or outrageous rather than ordinary insults or disagreements. That’s why the answer is true. It would be incorrect to say it only requires intent to cause minor distress, or that outrageous conduct is not required, because both of those are essential elements of IIED.