Richard Lazarus Cognitive Mediational Theory

A lot of colleges students work part time jobs to help cover the cost of college tuition. Though many schools offer scholarships and financial aid is available it is still hard to cover the full cost of college without taking out student loans. My friend from college has to work a part time job to help cover the cost of school, but unfortunately he just recently lost his job. The loss of his job has caused him a great deal of stress and he doesn’t know how to handle it. According to psychology, there are many ways to deal with stress, but one main idea of dealing with stress was called the cognitive-mediational theory. This idea was created by psychologists Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman.
Lazarus’ and Folkman’s idea explained the mental

When someone relies heavily on a job and then loses the job that event can be classified as a threat. In this case my friend losing his job is threatening because it determines his future. When a stressor is classified as threatening, negative emotions arise. My friend will begin to think about not being able to receive a degree and fulfill his dream as working as a medical doctor. When these negative emotions rise it’s hard to cope with the stressor.
In the secondary appraisal step, a person must take their threatening, challenging, or harmful stressor and use effective resources to cope with the stressor. Effective resources could be: social support, money, time, energy, or ability. My friend could respond to the stress he is having about losing his job by taking out student loans. Yes, student loans are money you have to pay back, but it will allow him to stay in school and finish his goal of graduating. He could also set aside time to go out and look for a new job, and he will always have to social support from his family and