Final answer:
An event that overwhelms normal coping strategies is a significant stressor, potentially leading to trauma or chronic stress. The stress process is influenced by how an individual appraises and responds to these stressors. Traumatic events, life changes, and even daily hassles, when appraised negatively, can be significant sources of stress.
Step-by-step explanation:
Any event that has a stressful impact sufficient to overwhelm your normal coping strategies is known as a traumatic event or a significant stressor. Such stressors can range from acute, such as an injury from a fall, to chronic, like long-term unemployment. When stressors are interpreted as overwhelming, they initiate the stress process. This process is influenced by both primary and secondary appraisals, where an individual evaluates the potential threat or challenge of a stressor and their capability to cope with it.
Traumatic events are potent stressors that can include exposure to military combat, physical assaults, or natural disasters, potentially leading to psychological impacts such as PTSD. Life changes such as marriage or divorce are also common stressors that require adjustment and can elicit stress if they are appraised negatively. Daily hassles, though seemingly minor irritations, can accumulate, creating a level of stress comparable to major life changes.
How an individual perceives and responds to potential stressors is critical, and this perception determines whether they will experience stress. Factors such as individual differences in appraisal and coping strategies are essential in determining the impact of stressors on an individual's well-being.