Question

What is lazarus and folkman's (1984) concept of cognitive appraisal? what are primary and secondary appraisal?

Answer 1

1. Lazarus and Folkman's theory of cognitive appraisal is a theory that explains how individuals perceive stress and stressors (stimuli that cause stress). According to this theory, our appraisal or evaluation of a a certain stimulus or situation leads to an emotional reaction or response based up on our appraisal. For instance, if I think someone is following me home at night, my appraisal of this situation (how dangerous I think it is and what I think could happen) determine my emotional response- I could feel panicked and my heart might start pounding. On the other hand, someone else might not react the same way as me since he/she does not appraise the situation with as much fear, and thus does not experience fearful feelings or responses.

2. Primary appraisal when faced with a potential stressor involve asking yourself questions such  as: "Is this stressor something to worry about?"and "Is this situation going to affect me?" We can then appraise the situation and answer these questions in three possible ways: i) "This situation has no impact on me", ii) "The outcome of it will be positive and/or harmless for me" or iii) "The outcome will be dangerous and harm me".

3. Secondary appraisal on the other hand, involves thoughts to figure out how to best deal with a negative or harmful situation to alter unfavorable circumstances. It involves appraising or evaluating various options to cope with stressors and minimize their negative effects on us. For instance, if a  person is stressed and anxious he might think of internal resources (strength, resilience, positive affirmations, etc.) to help him feel better. Alternatively, he might think of turning to external resources- support of friends, family or visiting a therapist- to reduce his stress. 

Answer 2

Cognitive appraisal theory outlines a person's response to stress and the stressors that cause it. It functions on two major predications: that we evaluate what effect a potential stressor will have on us, and that we instinctively marshal our responses and emotions to attempt to minimize or eliminate the effects of any stressor and the stress it produces. Primary appraisal involves the first of these. When confronted with a potential stressor, we automatically begin to look in terms of the threat level to us. Will this affect me at all? Will this do me harm? Will this cause a net benefit? Secondary appraisal, which normally occurs at the same time as primary appraisal, involves our reaction to the perceived stress. Responses will generally be either positive or negative (I can do this, I can't do this) with little overlap.