Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Harm
In the cognitive theory of stress of Lazarus and his colleagues, primary appraisal judges a new or changing event as positive, neutral or negative, and negative events are appraised for their possible harm, threat or challenge.
Option (1) Loss — Incorrect. Loss is not one of the appraisals named in this theory; the appraisal of damage already suffered is called harm.
Option (2) Harm — Correct. Harm is the assessment of the damage that has already been done by an event.
Option (3) Threat — Incorrect. Threat is the assessment of possible future damage that the event may bring, not of damage already done.
Option (4) Physical Damage — Incorrect. Physical damage is the injury itself, not the person’s appraisal of an event. The appraisals Lazarus describes are psychological judgements of harm, threat or challenge.
NCERT (2025-26): “Nature of Stress … Lazarus has distinguished between two types of appraisal, i.e. primary and secondary. Primary appraisal refers to the perception of a new or changing environment as positive, neutral or negative in its consequences. Negative events are appraised for their possible harm, threat or challenge. Harm is the assessment of the damage that has already been done by an event. Threat is the assessment of possible future damage that may be brought about by the event. Challenge appraisals are associated with more confident expectations of the ability to cope with the stressful event, the potential to overcome and even profit from the event.…” |