Discuss the Lazarus Appraisal and coping model and provide 2 practical examples :Secondary appraisal

1.Coping
2.control
3.self-efficacy
4.Outcome expectation
5. Efficacy expectation

1 answer

The Lazarus Appraisal and Coping model is a psychological framework that describes how individuals assess and cope with stressful events. According to this model, when individuals encounter a potentially stressful situation, they engage in a two-step process of appraisal. The first step is primary appraisal, which involves assessing whether the situation is a threat, a challenge, or a harm/loss. The second step is secondary appraisal, which involves evaluating their ability to cope with the situation.

Secondary appraisal includes factors such as coping strategies, perceived control over the situation, self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and efficacy expectations. Coping strategies refer to the actions that individuals take to manage or deal with the stressor. Perceived control is the extent to which individuals believe they have control over the situation. Self-efficacy beliefs pertain to the individual's confidence in their ability to effectively cope with the stressor. Outcome expectations involve the anticipated consequences of their coping efforts. Efficacy expectations refer to beliefs about the effectiveness of their coping strategies.

Two practical examples of the Lazarus Appraisal and Coping model in action could be:

1. A student who is feeling overwhelmed by their upcoming exams uses the secondary appraisal process to determine their ability to cope with the stress. They assess their coping strategies (such as creating a study schedule), perceive control by seeking help from a tutor, boost their self-efficacy by reminding themselves of past successes in exams, have positive outcome expectations of achieving good grades, and have high efficacy expectations for their study habits.

2. A parent who is dealing with a challenging behavior from their child uses the Lazarus model to assess the situation. They tap into coping strategies like setting boundaries and consequences, have a sense of control by seeking support from other parents or a therapist, boost their self-efficacy by reminding themselves of their parenting skills, have positive outcome expectations of seeing improvement in their child's behavior, and have high efficacy expectations for their parenting techniques.

In both of these examples, the individuals are able to effectively cope with the stressors by utilizing the various components of secondary appraisal outlined in the Lazarus Appraisal and Coping model. By understanding and applying this model, individuals can better navigate and manage stressful situations in their lives.