What is Lazarus's cognitive-mediational theory?

Lazarus’s cognitive-mediational theory is about how we think before we feel, like when you decide if something is good or bad before you get happy or sad.

Imagine you have a cookie, and your friend takes one without asking. Right away, your brain starts thinking: Did they mean to be rude? Are they just hungry? These thoughts are what Lazarus called cognitive mediation, like a middle person between the event (your friend taking the cookie) and how you feel about it (angry or okay).

Your brain is like a smart detective. When something happens, it asks questions: What did I just see? What does this mean? These thoughts help your brain decide what emotion to send to your body.

For example:

• If you think "They're just hungry," you might feel calm.
• But if you think "They're being rude," you might feel upset.

It’s like when you spill juice on your shirt. Your brain thinks: Is this a big deal? If it answers yes, you get sad or angry. If it says no, you just laugh it off and move on. Lazarus’s cognitive-mediational theory is about how we think before we feel, like when you decide if something is good or bad before you get happy or sad.

Imagine you have a cookie, and your friend takes one without asking. Right away, your brain starts thinking: Did they mean to be rude? Are they just hungry? These thoughts are what Lazarus called cognitive mediation, like a middle person between the event (your friend taking the cookie) and how you feel about it (angry or okay).