🧠 The Lazarus Theory of Emotion: Thinking Before Feeling

What Is the Lazarus Theory?

The Lazarus Theory of Emotion, developed by psychologist Richard Lazarus in the 1960s and 1980s, argues that cognition — specifically, how we appraise a situation — comes before both emotion and physiological response.

In short: We must think before we feel.

Lazarus believed that our emotional experience depends on how we evaluate (or appraise) the meaning and relevance of a situation to our well-being. Unlike older theories that focused on bodily reactions, Lazarus placed emphasis on the interpretation of events as the key to emotion.

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How the Theory Works

Here’s the flow of the Lazarus Theory:

1. Stimulus – Something happens (e.g., you see a bear).
2. Cognitive Appraisal – You evaluate the situation: “Is this dangerous?”
3. Emotion – Based on your appraisal, you feel fear (or relief, excitement, etc.).
4. Physiological Response – Your body responds (heart races, muscles tense).

“I believe this is threatening → I feel fear → My body reacts.”

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Key Concept: Appraisal

Lazarus divided appraisal into two stages:

• Primary appraisal – Is the situation relevant to my goals? Is it threatening, challenging, or harmless?
• Secondary appraisal – Do I have the resources to cope with it? Can I manage or control the outcome?

These appraisals shape the type and intensity of the emotion experienced.

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Example in Everyday Life

Imagine receiving a surprise text:

• You read: “Can we talk later? It’s important.”
• You appraise the message:
  • If you think it’s bad news → anxiety.
  • If you think it’s about a promotion → excitement.
• Your emotional and bodily reactions follow this interpretation.

So the same stimulus can cause very different emotions depending on how it's appraised.

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Strengths of the Lazarus Theory

✅ Explains individual differences
Two people can react differently to the same situation based on how they interpret it.

✅ Includes cognition
Brings mental processes like beliefs, memories, and goals into emotional responses.

✅ Widely supported in stress and coping research
Lazarus' model became foundational in understanding psychological stress.

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Criticisms of the Theory

🚫 May overemphasize thinking
Some emotional responses (like fear from a loud sound) happen too quickly for conscious appraisal.

🚫 Difficult to measure appraisals directly
Cognitive evaluations are subjective and not always conscious or easy to track.

These concerns led to a more nuanced view, recognizing both fast automatic and slower cognitive emotional routes (as proposed by Joseph LeDoux and others).

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Influence on Psychology

Lazarus’ theory shaped how psychologists understand:

• Stress and coping – He co-developed the Transactional Model of Stress with Susan Folkman.
• Emotional regulation – Understanding how changing appraisals can alter emotions.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) – Which helps clients reappraise situations to manage emotions.

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In Summary

The Lazarus Theory of Emotion emphasizes that emotions stem from how we interpret the world around us. This cognitive-first model added depth to emotional theory, explaining why people react differently to the same situations and how we can change our emotions by changing our thoughts.

“Cognition is a necessary precondition of emotion.”
— Richard Lazarus