Challenge vs. Threat: the Effect of Appraisal Type on Resource Depletion

• Published in: Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) Vol. 38; no. 6; pp. 1522 - 1529
• Main Authors: Palmwood, Erin N., McBride, Christine A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-12-2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Appraisals; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Psychology; Social Sciences; Stress (Psychology); Stress management; Coping strategies; Stress and coping; Threat; Challenge
• DOI: 10.1007/s12144-017-9713-6
• EISSN: 1936-4733
• ISSN: 1046-1310

Stress appraisals including challenge and threat have been consistently studied since the publication of Lazarus and Folkman’s (
1984
) influential stress model, as have cognitive and emotional resource depletion. However, no study to date has examined the effect of appraisal type on resource depletion – an area with implications for the conceptualization of stress and coping in research and clinical settings. The present study utilized novel stress tasks to induce varying levels of state anxiety and prompt challenge and/or threat appraisals from participants. After the task, participants were asked to rate their current levels of cognitive depletion and emotional exhaustion. Results of a path model analysis indicated that challenge appraisals are uniquely associated with cognitive depletion, whereas threat appraisals result in both cognitive depletion and emotional exhaustion. Findings further the conceptualizations of challenge and threat appraisals and highlight the importance of managing both cognitive and emotional resources when under threat.