Lazarus and Folkman

Lazarus and Folkman are psychologists known for their work on stress and coping. They proposed that how people manage stress depends on their appraisal of a situation — whether they see it as a threat, challenge, or manageable. They introduced the idea of *coping strategies:* ways individuals handle stress, either by changing the situation (problem-focused) or managing their emotional response (emotion-focused). Their model emphasizes that stress is a dynamic process influenced by personal perceptions and coping efforts, helping us understand how people deal with difficult events and adapt to life's challenges.