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Answer -
• Loosing a long-term job is a life event which is likely to be a cause of stress to an individual.
•A person’s response to stress largely depends on how the events are appraised or interpreted.
•This was explained by Lazorus in his Cognitive theory of stress.
•According to this theory, stress depends on his primary or secondary appraisal. A new or changing event is positive, negative or neutral.
•A negative event, such as loosing a long-term job, can be appraisal for its harm, instead a challenge.
•If it is appraised as a threat, which may result in future damage, it will result in high levels of stress.
•If it appraised as a challenge, then the individual, who lost the job, will have more confident expectations of the ability to cope with the stressful event, overcome it.
•If appraised as a harm, assessment of the damage, which has already been caused by the event, will result in high stress.
•Through secondary apptaisal, one’s coping abilities and resources are analysed as to whether they are sufficient in meeting the harm, threat or challenge.