Lazarus
Definition
Lazarus' theory posits that our experience of emotion depends on how we interpret or appraise the situation. This cognitive appraisal happens before the emotion and physiological arousal.
Analogy
Lazarus' theory is like being a referee in a soccer game. Before you blow the whistle (experience an emotion), you have to make a judgment call on what just happened on the field (appraise the situation).
Related terms
Stress: A state of mental or emotional strain resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.
Coping: The process of managing taxing circumstances, expending effort to solve personal and interpersonal problems, and seeking to master, minimize, or tolerate stress or conflict.
Primary Appraisal: The initial evaluation of whether an event is relevant to you, irrelevant, positive, threatening, etc.
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