In Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Stress Appraisal is defined as the subjective evaluation of the demands of a situation relative to the resources available to cope with those demands. Classical models of stress, such as Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS, 1936), treated stress purely as a physiological, non-specific biological response to noxious stimuli (alarm, resistance, exhaustion). However, these physiological models neglected the critical role of individual cognitive mediation.
- Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (1984): This paradigm posits that psychological stress is a particular relationship between the person and the environment that is appraised by the person as taxing or exceeding their resources and endangering their well-being.
- Primary Appraisal: The immediate evaluation of an encounter to determine whether it implies any personal stake, threat, harm/loss, or challenge.
- Secondary Appraisal: The subsequent assessment of one's coping options and resources (financial, social, psychological, physical) to manage the appraised threat or challenge.
- Reappraisal: A modified appraisal based on new information or feedback from ongoing coping efforts, which can be defensive or constructive.