APA Dictionary of Psychology

any of the criteria that account for a person’s evaluation of an interaction with the environment and the generation of an appropriate emotional response. Examples of appraisal dimensions include the goal relevance of an event, its stimulus novelty, its judged pleasantness or unpleasantness, and a judgment of one’s coping potential in relation to this event. Different appraisal theories emphasize different appraisal dimensions. See also stimulus evaluation checks.