The process involves four stages and starts with a text box labeled, stressful encounter that shows a mobile with text reading, May 12 math final and a bubble with a text reading, I have a final exam!, which further points to the first stage and the text box reads, Before test; primary appraisal and the speech bubble reads, How will this affect me?. This is further divided into three subsections. They read as follows. During test; primary appraisal. A speech bubble reads, Now how will this affect me, Stage 1, Person X; Challenging. Person Y; Positive, stage 2. The speech bubbles of Person X read, I missed a lot of classes and don’t understand the material, Stress, I don’t know how to manage this. The speech bubbles of Person Y read, I’m doing well in class. I will still get a good grade for the class even if I don’t do that well on the final, Not too stressed, I can cope with this. Person X in stage 2 further points to another text box in the third stage that reads, Secondary appraisal, what can I do? Which further divides into three subsections in the fourth stage that reads, problem-focused; seek help from friends. I’ll get notes from a classmate, Emotion-focused; seek emotional support. I’ll feel better after venting, emotion-focused; Mental disengagement. I don’t care about this class anyway. Person Y in stage 2 further points to another text box in the third stage that reads, Secondary appraisal, what can I do? This further divides into three subsections in the fourth stage that reads, problem-focused; planning. First I’ll take the online self-quiz, then I’ll look in my textbook to understand my mistakes, Emotion-focused; Emphasize the positive. I feel so much better when I study, emotion-focused; Suppress competing activities. I won’t go out this weekend so I can focus on studying.
Four labels pointing to four stages read as follows; First label pointing to the first stage reads, Most stressful events are not static. Therefore, we may appraise them at different stages with different results. For example, you will appraise the challenge of a test differently before you take it, while you are taking it, and after you have taken it but are waiting to receive a grade. Second label pointing to the second stage reads, People respond differently to stressors depending on how they appraise them. A student who is struggling in a class because she hasn’t worked hard may find a test even more challenging than a student who has been working hard all semester. The third label pointing to the third stage reads, Once we know how an event will affect us, we use secondary appraisal to determine our response, taking into consideration what resources are available. Fourth label pointing to the fourth stage reads, In response to a stressor, most people use several coping strategies, including both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Problem-focused coping involves doing something to deal with the source of stress. People who do not feel they can solve the problem tend to rely more on emotion-focused coping to manage their feelings about the situation. The text above top right extreme reads, Coping refers to the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral methods we employ to manage stressful events. But we don’t always rely on the same strategies to manage stressors in our lives. Coping is an individual process through which we appraise a stressor to determine how it will affect us and how we can respond.