Cognitive appraisal is a process through which the person evaluates whether a particular encounter with the environment
is relevant to his or her well-being and, if so, in what way. There are two kinds of cognitive appraisal: primary and secondary. In primary appraisal, the person evaluates whether he or she has anything at stake in this encounter. For example, is there potential harm or benefit to self-esteem? Is the health or well-being of a loved one at risk? A range of personality characteristics including values, commitments, goals, and beliefs about onself and the world helps to define the stakes that the person identifies as having relevance to well-being in specific stressful transactions. In secondary appraisal the person evaluates what, if anything, can be done to overcome or prevent harm or to improve the prospects
for benefit. Various coping options are evaluated, such as changing the situation, accepting it, seeking more information, or holding back from acting impulsively.