What are the 3 elements of Lazarus model of stress?
The Lazarus model of stress, developed by Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman, explains stress as an ongoing interaction between a person and their environment. The three appraisal processes commonly associated with the model are:
- Primary appraisal: deciding whether a situation is irrelevant, positive, harmful, threatening or challenging.
- Secondary appraisal: evaluating the resources and options available for coping with it.
- Reappraisal: reassessing the situation as circumstances, information or coping efforts change.
Coping takes place throughout this process and can influence how the situation is later reappraised. The model therefore suggests that stress depends not only on an event itself, but also on how the person evaluates and responds to it.
Richard Lazarus Career
Richard S. Lazarus (1922–2002) was an American psychologist known for his research on emotion, stress and coping. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he earned his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh in 1948. He later taught at Johns Hopkins University and Clark University before joining the University of California, Berkeley, in 1957.
Lazarus collaborated extensively with psychologist Susan Folkman. Their 1984 book, Stress, Appraisal, and Coping, developed the transactional theory of stress and distinguished between problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. His later books included Emotion and Adaptation (1991) and Stress and Emotion: A New Synthesis (1999).
What Is the Lazarus Model of Stress and Coping?
Lazarus’s theory proposes that stress does not arise solely from an event. It develops through the relationship between the person, the situation and the person’s appraisal of whether the demands exceed their available coping resources.
During primary appraisal, a person evaluates what the situation means for their wellbeing. The situation may be viewed as irrelevant, positive or stressful. A stressful situation may then be interpreted as harm already experienced, a future threat or a challenge that offers the possibility of growth.
During secondary appraisal, the person considers what can be done. This may include evaluating available time, knowledge, support, control and other resources. The word “secondary” describes its role in the model; it does not mean that this appraisal is unimportant or always occurs in a rigid sequence.
The person then uses coping responses. Problem-focused coping aims to change the situation, while emotion-focused coping aims to manage the emotional response. As circumstances or coping efforts change, the person may reappraise the situation and understand it differently.
For practical strategies, read How to Effectively Cope With Emotional Stress.
Video: Lazarus’s Theory of Stress and Coping
References
1. Berkeley University of California. Richard Lazarus, UC Berkeley psychology faculty member and influential researcher, dies at 80 . Retrieved August, 2009, from https://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2002/12/04_lazarus.html.
Selected Bibliography : Wikipedia .