Theory Of Stress Literature Review

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

This chapter discusses theories and key concepts of the research area on coping strategies, young adulthood and gender differences in coping styles based on supported literature from previous research studies. Stress

“Stress arises when individuals perceive that they cannot adequately cope with the demands being made on them or with demands being made on them or with threats to their well-being.”

(Lazarus, 1966) Stress can be defined as a psychological and physical strain that if handled in a maladaptive manner can cause an individual to fell anxious, nervous, tired and depressed. Prolonged stress may lead to serious long term physical and mental health issues and has been linked to the potential

Stress is neither a property of the person, nor of the environment, but arises when there is conjunction or relationship between a particular kind of environment and a particular kind of person that leads to a threat appraisal (Krohne, 2001). Two appraisals, primary and secondary, are central to Lazarus' cognitive theory of stress. An individual's `primary appraisal refers to whether or not there is any personal stake in the encounter and has been referred to as the motivational relevance of an encounter (Krohne, 2001). This appraisal considers the encounter's motivational congruence or incongruence, whether the transaction deters or facilitates an individual's goals (Krohne, 2001). The primary appraisal process is an evaluation as to the significance of an encounter or transaction for a specific individual. Lazarus and his colleagues have suggested three types of evaluation. First, an irrelevant encounter refers to an event that has no personal significance for the individual and is

Thirdly, a stressful encounter refers to an event that is considered to be harmful, threatening, or challenging. In other words, whether or not the person, event, or situation irrelevant, benign or deemed stressful (Krohne, 2001). A stake in an encounter generates the potential for emotion (Krohne, 2001) and stressful situations are appraised as involving harm/ loss, threat, or challenge to the individual's well-being (Krohne, 2001). If individuals found that they have a stake in the encounter, the transactional model postulates that they will engage in a secondary appraisal in order to alter conditions perceived to be undesirable. This secondary appraisal focuses on the available coping options for altering the perceived harm, threat, or challenge in achieving a more positive environment is created. The transactional model depicts coping as a choice that is affected by the primary and secondary appraisals. Coping is expected to be consistent with a determination of whether anything can be done to change the situation (Krohne, 2001). For example, problem-focused coping is expected to be adapoted in situations appraised as fixed and unchangeable (Krohne, 2001). Ultimately, the individual's choice of a coping mechanism is determined by his perceptions of personal control over the stressful situation. Personal control `refers to an individuals' beliefs, at a given point