Cognitive and Physiological Antecedents of Threat and Challenge Appraisal

Cognitive appraisal theories of stress and emotion propose that cognitive appraisals precede physiological responses, whereas peripheralist theories propose that physiological arousal precedes cognitive processes. Three studies examined this issue regarding threat and challenge responses to potentia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 1997-07, Vol.73 (1), p.63-72
Main Authors: Tomaka, Joe, Blascovich, Jim, Kibler, Jeffrey, Ernst, John M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Blood Pressure
Challenges
Cognition
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive appraisal
Cognitive Processes
Evaluation
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Heart Rate
Human
Humans
Life Change Events
Personality. Affectivity
Physiological aspects
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychophysiology
Stress
Stress, Psychological
Task Performance and Analysis
Threat
Threats
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Summary:Cognitive appraisal theories of stress and emotion propose that cognitive appraisals precede physiological responses, whereas peripheralist theories propose that physiological arousal precedes cognitive processes. Three studies examined this issue regarding threat and challenge responses to potential stress. Study 1 supported cognitive appraisal theory by demonstrating that threat and challenge cognitive appraisals and physiological responses could be elicited experimentally by manipulating instructional set. Studies 2 and 3, in contrast, found that manipulations of physiological response patterns consistent with challenge and threat did not result in corresponding changes in cognitive appraisal. Appraisals in Study 3, however, were related to subjective pain independent of the physiological manipulation. These studies suggest a central role for cognitive appraisal processes in elicitation of threat and challenge responses to potentially stressful situations.
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.73.1.63