Psychology 309a
Fall, 1998
Doug Davis
The First Writing Assignment

Shapiro's Neurotic Styles presents a set of categories into which to sort common disorders of living. As suggested in class, most of us have fairly extensive personal and interpersonal experience with one or more of these styles, and they are illustrated by most clinical accounts.

Drawing on your reading and experience, identify and describe in a paragraph a moment that seems to you to clearly illustrate one of the styles. Then do the following:

• Describe the personal issues (immediate "cause," anxiety state) that brought on the style-illustrating behavior.

• Show how this behavior alleviates or avoids anxiety in ways characteristic of the style chosen.
• Briefly indicate how you think this episode relates to the individual's more general personality, current life situation, or prospects in therapy.

Two single-spaced pages (1200 words) maximum, please. If you are using a published example other than those assigned, please append a copy. Please submit this to me electronically or on paper by class time Tuesday, September 22. You are welcome to speak or correspond with me about this assignment beforehand.