What is the process of Cognitive Appraisal as proposed by Lazarus. How do person

Question

What is the process of Cognitive Appraisal as proposed by Lazarus. How do personal and situational factors affect the appraisal of stress? Aside from purely psychological, self-report measures of stress, such as paper and pencil "measures", how can we measure the amount of cortisol, the "stress hormone"? What can be a consequence of an overabundance of cortisol in the bloodstream? What are the dangers to the human body as the result of continuous (chronic) exposure to stress including the cardiovascular system and other organs.

Explanation / Answer

Lazarus stated that cognitive appraisal occurs when a person considers two major factors that majorly contribute in his response to stress. These two factors include: The threatening tendency of the stress to the individual, and The assessment of resources required to minimize, tolerate or eradicate the stressor and the stress it produces. In the stage of primary appraisal, an individual tends to ask questions like, “What does this stressor and/ or situation mean?”, and, “How can it influence me? The second part of primary cognitive appraisal is to classify whether the stressor or the situation is a threat, a challenge or a harm-loss. Secondary appraisals involve those feelings related to dealing with the stressor or the stress it produces. Personal factors include intellectual, motivational,and personality characteristics. One example is self-esteem: people who have high self-esteem are likely to believe they have the resources to meet demands thatrequire the strengths they possess. If they perceive an event as stressful, they may interpret it as a challenge rather than a threat .Another example relates to motivation: the more important a threatened goal, the more stress the person is likely to perceive. Events that involve very strong demands and are seen as stressful.Thus, patients who expect to undergo a physically uncomfortable or painful medical procedure, such as surgery, tomorrow are likely to view their situation as being more stressful than, say, expecting to have a blood pressure test next week. The timing of a life transitioncan affect the stress it produces.People expect some events,such as marriage or retirement, to occur at certain times in the life span. Your cortisol blood level can be measured in three ways -- through your blood, saliva, or urine. High levels of cortisol can lead to anxiety,digestive problems,heart disease,sleep problems,weight gain,High blood sugar (hyperglycemia),Insulin resistance,Carbohydrate cravings,Metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes The effects of chronic overexposure to cortisol can be devastating. Prolonged cortisol elevations result in sustained elevations of blood sugar, substantial loss of calcium from bones, depression of important immune responses, high blood pressure, loss of muscle mass, increased fat accumulation, and even loss of cognitive function. Chronic stress may affect behaviors and factors that increase heart disease risk: high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, physical inactivity and overeating. Some people may choose to drink too much alcohol or smoke cigarettes to “manage” their chronic stress, however these habits can increase blood pressure and may damage artery walls.

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