Final answer:
Trait anxiety is the tendency to perceive environmental events as threatening or non-threatening, influencing an individual's primary appraisal of stressors. This type of anxiety, along with one's locus of control, affects how stress is experienced, underlining the subjective nature of stress.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anxiety and Stress Appraisal
The type of anxiety that involves an individual's disposition to classify environmental events as threatening or non-threatening is called trait anxiety. This term highlights an individual’s consistent tendency to perceive a range of situations as threatening. When encountering a stressor, the process involves the judgment of its potential threat, known as primary appraisal, and then evaluating if effective options are available to tackle the situation, referred to as secondary appraisal. Trait anxiety is a critical aspect of how individuals react to stressors, as it influences their primary appraisal of a given situation.
For example, when presented with a significant life event such as a job promotion, a person with high trait anxiety might view this event as more threatening due to anticipated excessive work demands, whereas another individual might see it as an opportunity for growth and professional development.
In the case of Jane's belief that she received a bad grade because her professor disliked her, Jane is exhibiting an external locus of control, which indicates that she attributes outcomes to forces beyond her own control. Different individuals will have variable reactions to similar stressors based on their cognitive appraisals and locus of control, underscoring the fact that stress is a subjective experience significantly influenced by personal interpretations and beliefs.