Definition
Appraisal is the cognitive evaluation a person makes of a situation — what it means, whether it threatens or supports their goals, and whether they have the resources to cope. It is the central proposition of appraisal theory in the psychology of emotion, most associated with Richard Lazarus: emotions are not direct reactions to events but to the interpretation of those events. Two people facing the same circumstance can feel very different emotions because they appraise it differently.
Lazarus distinguished primary appraisal — is this relevant to my goals, and is it good or bad for them? — from secondary appraisal — what can I do about it, and what are the likely consequences of acting? The combination determines whether a stressor produces anxiety, anger, sadness, or challenge.
Why it matters
How it works
A situation is first scanned for relevance: does it matter to anything I care about? If not, the emotion engine stays quiet. If it does, a goal-congruence judgement follows: does this help or hinder me? Then secondary appraisal estimates coping potential — can I influence it, escape it, or must I endure it? Threat plus low coping yields anxiety; threat plus high coping yields challenge or determination; loss plus low coping yields sadness; blame plus high coping yields anger.
Re-appraisal is the deliberate revision of any of these steps. A traffic jam appraised as a personal insult produces anger; the same jam reappraised as unavoidable noise becomes a podcast opportunity. Re-appraisal is one of the most robust techniques in emotion regulation — and the engine of most cognitive therapies.