The flow diagram is as follows, before test, primary appraisal and a corresponding thought bubble reads, how will this affect me? Before test, primary appraisal leads to during test primary appraisal and a corresponding thought bubble reads, now how will this affect me? During test, primary appraisal leads to text that reads, there will be independent responses from each instance of primary appraisal. A callout beside during test 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.
Before test, primary appraisal also leads to person X challenging and person Y positive. The thought bubbles from 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 thought bubbles from 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. A callout beside 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 semesters.
Person X leads to secondary appraisal, what can I do? Secondary appraisal leads to problem focused, seek help from friends and a thought bubble below reads, I’ll get notes from a classmate; emotion focused, mental disengagement and a thought bubble below reads, I don’t care about this class anyway; and emotion focused, seek emotional support and a thought bubble below reads, I’ll feel better after venting.
Person Y leads to secondary appraisal, what can I do? A callout beside secondary appraisal 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. Secondary appraisal leads to asterisk problem focused, planning and a thought bubble below reads, first I’ll take the online self-quiz then I’ll look in my textbook to understand my mistakes; problem focused, suppress competing activities and a thought bubble below reads, I won’t go out this weekend so I can focus on studying; emotion focused, emphasize the positive and a thought bubble below reads, I feel so much better when I study. Another callout beside emotion focused reads, in response to a stressor, most people use several coping strategies, including both problem-focused coping. Problem-focused coping involves doing something to deal with the sources 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.
A note at the bottom reads, Problem-focused coping is usually the most productive. Here are some other problem-focused strategies:
Restraint (wait to act until all relevant data have come to light); Break the problem into manageable chunks; Research the situation; Pursue alternatives.