Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping

Overview

The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) proposes that stress is a psychological process involving an interaction or ‘transaction’ between a person and their environment. It emphasizes the subjective nature of stress, meaning that what one person finds stressful, another may not. The model focuses on how individuals appraise and cope with stressors.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Stress is a subjective experience shaped by individual appraisal and coping mechanisms.

Key Components

The model highlights two key appraisal stages:

1. Primary Appraisal: Evaluating the significance of a potential stressor.
2. Secondary Appraisal: Evaluating coping options and resources.

1. Primary Appraisal

Definition

Primary appraisal involves evaluating the nature of the potential stressor and its impact on the individual. It addresses the question: “Am I in trouble?”.

Stages of Primary Appraisal

• Irrelevant: The event is considered not to be a threat or source of stress.
• Benign-Positive: The event is perceived as neutral or positive, and does not cause stress.

• Stressful: The event is perceived as potentially harmful or challenging. If appraised as stressful, further evaluation occurs by classifying the stressor as one of the following:

  • Harm/Loss: An assessment that damage has already occurred (e.g., I have failed the exam).
  • Threat: An assessment that harm/loss could occur in the future (e.g., I might fail the exam).
  • Challenge: An assessment that there is an opportunity for personal growth or gain (e.g., I can learn from this exam experience).

Example

VCAA FOCUS: Be able to apply the primary appraisal stages to various scenarios.

2. Secondary Appraisal

Definition

Secondary appraisal involves evaluating our ability to control or overcome the situation. It addresses the question: “What can I do about it?”.

Evaluation of Coping Options

Individuals assess their available resources and coping strategies to deal with the stressor. This includes evaluating:

• Available resources: Time, energy, money, social support.
• Coping strategies: Problem-focused and emotion-focused coping (though the model itself doesn’t explicitly categorize coping as such, it is implied).
• Perceived control: How much control the individual believes they have over the situation.

Outcome

The outcome of secondary appraisal influences the individual’s choice of coping strategies. If an individual believes they have adequate resources and coping options, they are more likely to engage in active coping. Conversely, if they perceive a lack of resources or control, they may resort to avoidance or emotion-focused coping.

Example

COMMON MISTAKE: Confusing primary and secondary appraisal. Primary appraisal assesses the nature of the stressor, while secondary appraisal assesses coping options.

Transactional Nature

The model is transactional because the appraisal stages are interdependent and can influence each other. The outcome of secondary appraisal can affect the primary appraisal, and vice versa. This dynamic interaction continues throughout the stressful experience.

Explanatory Power

The Transactional Model explains:

• Individual Differences: Why people react differently to the same stressor based on their unique appraisals and coping resources.
• Subjectivity of Stress: That stress is not solely determined by the stressor itself, but by the individual’s interpretation of it.
• Dynamic Process: That stress is an ongoing process involving continuous appraisal and coping efforts.

EXAM TIP: When describing the model, use the terms “appraisal,” “stressor,” and “coping” frequently to show your understanding of the key concepts.

Limitations

While the Transactional Model is valuable, it has some limitations:

• Overlooks Biological Factors: The model primarily focuses on psychological processes and does not give enough consideration to the role of biological factors (e.g., the HPA axis) in the stress response.
• Difficulty in Measuring Appraisal: It can be challenging to objectively measure subjective appraisals.
• Individual Differences: Model does not always account for individual differences in personality, coping styles, and past experiences.
• Stages are not always distinct: The model presents primary and secondary appraisal as distinctly separate stages when, in reality, they may occur simultaneously.

STUDY HINT: Create flashcards with different scenarios and practice applying the primary and secondary appraisal stages to each scenario.