Cognitive appraisal
Research by Lazarus (1966, 1990) resulted in the concept of cognitive appraisal. Lazarus investigated people’s reactions to stressful situations and concluded that how we view or appraise stress, cognitively, is more important than the actual amount of stress we are experiencing. Lazarus suggested that, in our primary appraisal of an event, we decide whether it is irrelevant to our wellbeing, benign–positive or stressful. Secondary appraisals then determine the cognitive resources available to cope with the event. Following appraisal, we employ various coping mechanisms. Much of Lazarus’s research has involved the identification and evaluation of coping strategies (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). For example:
Confrontational coping is when you get angry with the person you think has caused the stress you are experiencing;
Seeking social support is finding someone to help or talk to about the situation; and
Escape–avoidance is when you try to think about something else or avoid dealing with the problem.
Research by Lazarus (1966, 1990) resulted in the concept of cognitive appraisal. Lazarus investigated people’s reactions to stressful situations and concluded that how we view or appraise stress, cognitively, is more important than the actual amount of stress we are experiencing. Lazarus suggested that, in our primary appraisal of an event, we decide whether it is irrelevant to our wellbeing, benign–positive or stressful. Secondary appraisals then determine the cognitive resources available to cope with the event. Following appraisal, we employ various coping mechanisms. Much of Lazarus’s research has involved the identification and evaluation of coping strategies (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). For example:
Confrontational coping is when you get angry with the person you think has caused the stress you are experiencing;
Seeking social support is finding someone to help or talk to about the situation; and
Escape–avoidance is when you try to think about something else or avoid dealing with the problem.
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