Ms. Jones works as an advertising agent at a teaching institution. She developed an avoidant personality in response to gossip at her workplace about her appearance and background. To avoid the gossip, she covers the windows in her office with curtains and leaves her door open with curtains as well. This avoidant behavior has helped her to keep her job and stop being the target of gossip. While avoidant personality is classified as a disorder, Ms. Jones sees it as an effective way to deal with the gossip situation without resigning or filing complaints against her gossipers.

1. Modupe Sarratt
Psyc 432 Section 6980
Exploration Paper 2
In the Situation, Office Gossip Cause Avoidant Behavior over the Time Creates Avoidant
Personality
Ms. Jones works in a teaching institution as an advertising agent. According to her, she is
the most qualified person for the position. Ms. Jones indicates loving her job, and she is
determined to face the challenges and obstacles associated with her position. She believes she
can help the institution even though it caused her to lose her husband.
Ms. Jones is tall, fair-skinned with a master's degree in sociology and bachelor's degree
in human relations. Ms. Jones, although she does not have an accent, is originally from Africa
and married to a Caucasian/white man. She indicates loving her job and she determined to face
the challenges associated with the position because she feels she can help the institution to
advance.
In the history of the events, according to her, the institution hired her as advertising agent
because the institution was looking for someone like her, an educated, pretty, ambitious and
determined individual that will do whatever it takes to accomplish a task. The requirements for
the position include having virtues for decency, conscientiousness, and thoughtfulness with
performance. She also admits that being married at the time helped her to get the position.
Advertising requires an association with different types or varieties of people to promote
products, and she thinks her diversity contributed to her ability to excel in her position.

2. Technically, her position required being tactful or diplomatic, which made it difficult for Ms.
Jones to be in a group for gossip.
The gossip culture that exists in the institution is usually aimed at a coworker who has
potential to be noticed for beauty or a coworker who attracts attention from his or her demeanor.
It is not about knowing a person, but about intruding into private affairs. According to Ms. Jones,
her appearance, demeanor, behavior, and character are integrate in her performance on the job as
an advertising agent. Even though, she may like to gossip, it is difficult for her to do so in her
position, as she has developed an avoidant behavior and over the time, this avoidant behavior has
become her personality towards the job.
Avoidant behavior or personality is a disorder classified in DSM IV in conjunction with
social phobia DSM III as a persistent fear of reaction to social situations. According to Alexandra
Martinez (1995), “aesthetic personality, which also resembles the avoidant trait constellation”,
except that an avoidant personality exhibits a wider range of anxiety. According to Martinez,
“Avoidants are socially withdrawn and have few close relationships; desire such relationships,
but do not trust others sufficiently to relate closely without assurances of acceptance” (p218).
The current descriptions for Ms. Jones in her position, is the rearrangment of her office
for avoidance. The two windows are covered with blue curtains and her door with blue drapes.
She prefers her office door open, as she usually never closes her office door, so her office is open
for anyone to come in by passing through the door curtain. The reason for her type of isolation is
from the impact of gossiping to stop “pippin” as she calls it. “Pippin” according to her is to stop
the admiration that she thinks is due to the gossip. Although, she likes the attention and finds it

3. desirable that others want to see what she looks like, she wishes it was not circulated from
gossip.
Gossip is not for admiring beauty to desire good qualities, gossip is to hate good qualities
by those who desire good qualities and are not able to have what comes naturally. Gossip is a
means explored to change the nature of good qualities by those who lack confident in their own
self. The idea “please do not hate me because I am beautiful” is associated with the gossiper that
has made “pippin” to admire somebody that is particularly desirable to the opposite. “Pippin” “is
a desirable or admirable person” or thing according to the English dictionary, people passing by
to admire a person is delightful. Gossip, on the other hand, according to the English dictionary is
a conversation about personal matters to spread rumors or facts maliciously. Gossip is not to
admire the person but to make others hate the another for being who he or she is. The purpose of
“gossip” is to affect the other/victim to change. Therefore, gossip does change behavior.
In the case of Ms. Jones, her determination to keep her position as an advertising agent
stems from her developed avoidant personality, alongside the notion that gossip is no longer a
concern, for her saying, ‘out of sight out of mind’. In addition, with the curtain at her entrance,
she thinks that no one who gossips would walk through the curtain and she does not see the
insinuations or knowing who is talking to whom except sometimes she heard why the curtain for
her having a poster saying “just for privacy, you are welcome to come in”.
When asked about the impact of gossip in her relationship, she regrets that she resolved
to divorce her husband. However, the divorce brought them closer than when married because
without the divorce, the family would suffer from the gossip. She feels the gossiper and her

4. group target stalk her family. Divorce helped her to exclude her family from the gossip to limit
the focus on her.
When asked about her current love life, she said she includes a new lover in her family's
lives. When asked whether she is concerned about her new lover being a target she indicated
trusting him and in a sense of a long distance relationship, she is more able to focus on her job,
her family and the hope for the best to come when she will be able to unite with her lover. So far,
things are looking great for her. When Ms. Jones was asked about her choice of avoidance for the
situation, whether it is helpful or harmful, she responded that there is no better way to deal with
gossip beside avoidance, for the saying that “silence is the best answer to the fools,” because
gossip is a problem masked with lack of confidence to include similarities for a group to hate.
The perpetrator in itself is not just the wrongdoer, but the others who joined in the gossip also
have similar dislikes toward the victim. Similarity of dislikes is the cause for the group,
according to the saying, that “Birds of a feather flock together”; those with similar interests tend
to form a group.
Therefore, the victims of gossip such as Ms. Jones has no choice but to avoid harm to self
that in turn help the assailant/the gossipers to stop the gossiping. Imagine what would happen if
Ms. Jones choose to file a complaint for firing the gossipmongers. The alternative will be
violence against Ms. Jones, her family, and the institution.
In her view for what is best is the psychodynamic for mental health to evaluate the
psychopathology of the gossiper. The gossiper/gossipmonger as a group who is sick with hate,
hate is the psychopathology of the gossipers. Anyone who gossip is because of hate, hate is the
cause for many mental disorders, not the response of the victim who tries to avoid violence. The

5. mental anguish of hate is the cause for mental illness not the action formed by others to defend.
Although, hate affects others in such a way as causing others to explore a different behavior to
accommodate the wrongdoer, action forms to resolve a problem is not the pathology or disorder.
According to the online statement by Wayne Christensen (2013), “there are other situations in
which no answer would be seen as a concession to the fool.” In Ms. Jones' situation, an avoidant
personality is positive for her mental health.
Avoidance of a stressful situation is not abnormal regardless the type of stressor. Ms.
Jones' reaction to the stressor, the gossipmongers with avoidant personalities is normal for the
situation because avoidance worked for her and the gossipers. Jeffrey Nevid, (2007) for
Psychology and Health indicates, “reaction to stress is important for our survival, people varies
in their ability to resist negative effects, a sense of optimism, confidence in our abilities and our
ability to control what happens to us, and interpreting stressful situations as challenges all help us
live effectively”(p374). Nevid (2007) also suggests that a “Physical disorder can be minimized
or eliminated if healthy psychological and behavioral steps are taken for some influences we
cannot control and is a good idea to improve the influences we can control” (p. 375). In this case,
Ms. Jones uses “avoidant personality” as a treatment to avoid the negative impact of gossip. Her
psychological ability to analyze and evaluate herself in the situation provides her with the safety
she needs while being able to influence the gossipers to change, that to leave her alone to divert
the gossipmongers to do something else.
The treatment for mental health counseling will probably not be effective in the case for
Ms. Jones because psychologist counseling seeks to treat individual symptoms. Symptoms such
as “avoidant behavior” are viewed as abnormal in a psychology perceptive. If Ms. Jones
indicates that she uses avoidant behavior to avoid the stressors of gossip, the greater the

6. possibility that her avoidant behavior will be labeled as abnormal to apply treatment without the
consideration to the influence. There are two types of tests for assessment and diagnosis
according to Michael Nystul (2011, p.89), “standardized and non-standardized.” The “non-
standardized testing includes procedures such as observations, behavioral assessment, and
environment assessment” for the treatment of individual. However, the treatment will not
eliminate the influence of the environment made treatment ineffective.
Psychologists counseling did not influence self-discipline or self-control for the treatment
of individuality. Allowing the psychologists to control individuality for treatment contributes to
mental confusion for mental disturbance. The best treatment is helping patients to diagnose the
cause for a problem and allow individuals the ability to heal. Ms. Jones' choice to self-
psychoanalysis the dynamic of the gossipers for action is the understanding of the psychopathy
of the gossiper. The gossipers aim to destroy and deal with avoiding destruction by running
away. Ms. Jones chose not to resign stating that her avoidant personality makes her stronger.
Self-discipline is the ability to analyze one's self and one's situation to dertermine what is best.
If Ms. Jones seeks counseling or psychiatry, she will be diagnosed with an “avoidant
personality” based on her explanation of what she is doing to avoid situations. Her self-discipline
is documented as abnormal to apply treatment for prescribing medication such as antidepressant
to suppress her actions to tolerate abuse from others. Psychology is not about treating the cause
of a problem. Psychology is about suppressing the normal reaction to change or influence for a
difference.
Ms. Jones is on antidepressants, the gossipmongers will have the upper hand for her
being subdued to the gossipers insecurity for lack of confidence. Research indicates there is little

7. study for interpersonal relationship to assess personality in stress generations to indicate that an
avoidant personality is competent for individuals for stress generation. According to the article
by Cummings et.al (2013),”Stress generation research has historically examined the link between
depression and stressful life events, particularly interpersonal events. Stress generation theory
has rarely been applied to personality disorders, which are characterized by longstanding,
pervasive, and often self-perpetuating interpersonal difficulties. In addition, there is little
research on the specific types of interpersonal deficits associated with personality disorders”.
The advantage of Ms. Jones' avoidant personality with self-discipline is that she saves
herself, keeps her job, protects her loved ones, and saves the gossipers from not being fired as a
result of her complaints. On the other hand, if Ms Jones seeks counseling with repeating the
annoyance to the third party, the psychiatry, she will be succumbing to the influence of the
gossipers to her detriment/loss. Ms. Jones believes in her ability to handle her feelings to
evaluate others for the best behavior has helped her and the gossipers in the work situation. Ms.
Jones uses avoidance to focus on doing her tasks to provide the gossiper to mind their own
business. Behavior such as “avoidant” for responses to situations and others is as old as the bible,
for silence is the best answer to a fool, not running away or taking medication to suppress
actions, sometimes to answer a fool according to his or her foolishness. Whether a fool can
change or not depends. Despite Ms. Jones' avoidant personality towards the gossipers, the
gossipmongers continue the behavior with somebody else as the victim leads to the bad publicity
for terminating or the firing of the gossipers.
The dynamic of gossip is to control the other person and the best way to resist is
avoidance. They cannot have you if they cannot get to you. Avoidant personality is an escape and
prevents the unpleasantness and is the best therapy that works in gossip or scandal. However,

8. there is little research for avoidant personality in interpersonal associations. In Ms. Jones' case,
self-discipline for an “Avoidant behavior” is a therapy that works for her, protects her from third
party/psychiatry influences, and allows the gossiper to back off or at least choose another target.
If you cannot join them, avoid them is good therapy.
Ms. Jones Mini Mental Exam
Orientation Recorded Answer Outcome
What is the problem? Office gossips Divorce
Why the gossip Africa origin married to
prominent white and has a
good job. I’m pretty/have it
all
Developed behavior for job
What type of behavior Avoidance For not resign
Why not file complaint The gossipers is a group Change her office appearance
with curtains to avoid seeing
the insinuations or the
innuendos but welcome other
into her office with open
door, she never close her
door. “The curtain is for
privacy. Please, feel free to
come in”.
Do you know that “avoidant
behavior/personality’ is
classified as mental disorder
Help me to keep my job and
the gossipers are no longer
here. I am happy with the
result of avoiding the
situation with my personality.
She is now the executive for
advertising department.
Why not seek counseling
such as a Psychiatry
Never thought “avoidant” is
disease. She thinks of the
experience as being in a
situation that she needs to
figure out some decisive
ways to deal with the
gossiper.
Self-confident determinist -
the doctrine or belief that
everything, including every
human act, is cause by
something and that there is no
real free will. “Avoidant” as a
choice to respond to a
situation that a person cannot
control seems to work.
Avoidant Personality Is a disorder classified as
DSM-IV
Causes of avoidant
personality disorder are not
clearly defined and may be
influenced by a combination
of social, genetic, and
psychological factors.

9. Reference
Christensen, Wayne. (2013-10-24) How To Answer A Fool, Fox Lake Community Church.
Website: www.foxlakechurch.org Email:wchristensen@foxlakechurch.org
http://www.foxlakechurch.org/fox%20lake%20community%20church_034.htm
Cummings, J. A., Hayes, A. M., Cohen, L. H., Laurenceau, J., Saint, D., & Gricol, K. (2013).
Interpersonal Competence and Daily Stress Generation in Individuals with Avoidant
Personality Disorder Symptoms. Journal Of Social & Clinical Psychology, 32(2), 135-
158. doi:10.1521/jscp.2013.32.2.135
Martinez, Alexandra. (1995). Avoidant Personality Disorder. The DSM-four Personality
Disorders, 218.
Nevid, Jeffrey S. (2007) Psychology Concepts and Applications Second Edition. Houghton
Mifflin Company.
Nystul, Michael S. (2011). Introduction To Counseling An Art and Science Perspective. Pearson
Education, Inc.