Gina is a thirteen-year-old girl with a significant anxiety disorder. She often becomes overly concerned that she will fail in h
er schoolwork and let both her parents and her teachers down. If assigned to a group project she often becomes almost catatonic out of fear that she will disappoint her group members or will do something that will result in her being ridiculed. She often simply ‘shuts down’ when anxious – not talking or doing any work. If pushed she may display a full out panic attack and start crying and has on three occasions actually left the school building. Once she left the school (without any one noticing) and she reported to a hospital emergency room almost two miles away from the school. She often signals her bouts with anxiety by becoming somewhat more agitated and displays more questions and expresses the desire to go to the bathroom or to the nurse, etc. At this point the specific nature of what actually triggers the anxiety in any given academic or social task is not fully understood – as Gina is an exceptional student and while very quiet – is well liked by her peers. 11. Given the little information provided, what might be your hypothesis for the function of Gina’s behavior?
