#LAZARUS THEORY HOW TO#

The punishment can come in social form, such as in banishment, or in legal form such as a fine or incarceration. They are defined by social norms or laws and are usually backed by punishment if violated. ConstraintsД¬onstraints are composed of the behaviors in which one should not engage. Although demands originate from external pressure, they are later internalized. Examples of demands include helping others in need, taking care of children, and performing well at oneвЂ™s job. DemandsДemands are pressures from the social environment to behave in certain ways and to conform to social conventions. Person variables are those that lie within the person, including goals and goal hierarchies, beliefs about self and world, and personal resources. Environmental variables include demands, constraints, opportunity, and culture. Environmental variables are those that are beyond the person and lend rules of behavior that are governed by societal norms. These antecedent conditions are divided into two classes, environmental variables and personal variables. Stress appraisal theory takes into consideration precursory conditions that affect the process of appraisal. Lazarus argued that individuals differ in how they perceive circumstance as relevant and in how they react to and cope with situations. A person constantly weighs coping options to deal with stress in the context of his or her personal goals or resources or environmental constraints. He came to realize that stress was associated with the subjective meaning of what was happening to the personnel, who, in combat, were in imminent danger of being killed. He was deeply impressed by a monograph written by two psychiatrists, Roy Grinker and John Spiegel, about how flight crews dealt with the constant stress of air war. Richard Lazarus, the originator of stress appraisal theory, became interested in the early 1950s in studying differences between individuals with relation to stress and the coping mechanisms. Prior experience or being exposed to similar situations previously provides a frame of reference to determine the options available for dealing with the situation. A harmful event requires immediate evaluation of coping options because it has already occurred, whereas threatening or challenging events allow one time to gather more information about events. During this process, a person decides what coping options are available.

#LAZARUS THEORY HOW TO#

Secondary appraisal is the cognitive process that occurs when one is figuring out how to cope with a stressful event. Finishing a marathon or writing a book might be an example of a challenge.

Such a struggle would be considered a positive type of stress and allows a person to expand oneвЂ™s knowledge and experience, and to develop extra tools to embrace future challenges or stresses.

Conversely, challenge consists of events that provide a person an opportunity to gain a sense of mastery and competence by confronting and overcoming a dilemma. Threat is the possibility of a harm or loss in the future, such as sickness or poor job performance. Harm or loss is associated with damage that has already occurred, such as a death or a job loss.

During this phase, a decision is made about whether the event poses a threat, will cause harm or loss, or presents a challenge. Primary appraisal is the cognitive process that occurs when one is appraising whether an event is stressful and relevant to him or her. These two types of appraisal are not mutually exclusive they work in concert with one another to complete the appraisal process. Stress appraisal comes in two forms, primary and secondary appraisal, which should be considered as two stages of appraisal or evaluation. People differ in how they construe what is happening to them and their options for coping. Stress appraisal theory is concerned with individualsвЂ™ evaluation of the event, rather than with the event per se. Stress appraisal refers to the process by which individuals evaluate and cope with a stressful event.

Lazarus theory