Cognitive Appraisal Theory: Emotions Decoded

What is this page about?

An explainer of cognitive appraisal theory, Richard Lazarus's framework holding that emotions arise not from events themselves but from the meanings people assign to them relative to their goals and coping resources. It explains the two-stage process (primary appraisal of stakes and valence, secondary appraisal of coping capacity), traces the lineage through Lazarus, Smith and Ellsworth's appraisal dimensions, Roseman's causal attribution, and Scherer's component process model, and presents four case studies (exam stress, cross-cultural generalizability, grief, competitive sport) with the empirical evidence and critiques.

What has been corrected on this page?

Every accepted correction to this page is recorded with the exact change, so readers can see how the page improved over time.

1. 11 July 2026 · corrected by Emir Baycan

   Roseman's 1991 'Appraisal determinants of discrete emotions' appeared in Cognition and Emotion, not JPSP (matches article's own reference list).

   Before

   Ira Roseman, publishing in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 1991

   After

   Ira Roseman, publishing in Cognition and Emotion in 1991

   Why: Verified already correctly fixed on the live site (body content and bibliography). No mention of Roseman's journal name in faq, excerpt, or meta_description. No further action needed.

   View the full record →

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