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reappraisal

reappraisal

1 6.8
Changing how you think about a situation to feel less upset
  • noun
  • /ˌriːəˈpreɪzəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : revalorización
  • "There was a brief silence, during which I had an opportunity to make an agonizing reappraisal of the situation."
  • cognitive reappraisal
  • positive reappraisal

The second is safety reappraisal, really reinterpreting, reinforcing that these sensations that you're feeling are actually safe.

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Examples

  • After reflecting on her initial reaction, she decided a positive reappraisal of the situation would help her cope better.

  • These three studies found active coping, increased effort, and positive reappraisal to be the most commonly used coping strategies.

    Academic text (2007)
  • I've just gone through an agonizing reappraisal of our situation.

  • He reviews his life, indulging those same motivations, focusing almost solely on himself as a victim and offering no reappraisal of his own behavior.

    Academic text (1990)
  • There is a lot I've been thinking about lately, and I've been doing a great deal of reappraisal of how I relate to Atheism, to Skepticism, and how I see myself fitting into it.

    Blog text (10)
  • Older people appraised stressful situations as less changeable than younger people did, and thus they emphasized emotion-focused coping methods, including distancing and reappraisal.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The therapist encouraged her to engage in a reappraisal of her feelings to better manage her anxiety.

  • Through reappraisal, he learned to see challenges as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles.

Synonyms

reassessment
vsreappraisal
9 4.1

A new check to see if something is still right after time or change

changes interpretation to reduce or alter emotional impact
reevaluation
vsreappraisal
4 4.8

The act of looking again at something to decide how important it is

focuses on altering emotional meaning rather than judging value
revaluation
vsreappraisal
1 6.3

A new check of the value or importance of something

aims instead to change how a situation feels emotionally
reexamination
vsreappraisal
1 3.9

A second check of something to find mistakes or missing details

changes interpretation specifically to alter emotional reaction not just check facts
reconceptualization
vsreappraisal
  • Formal
1 9.5

Thinking about something in a new way to create a different idea

uses reinterpretation mainly to change emotional response
reconception
vsreappraisal
  • Formal
8.3

To form a new idea or plan after thinking about something again

uses reinterpretation mainly to change emotional response

Surface Forms

reappraisal singular
reappraisals plural

Morphology

reappraisal = appraisal (semi-transparent) = re + appraisal

Formed by the regular prefix 're-' plus 'appraisal', but here it denotes a specialized psychological strategy (changing interpretation), which may not be obvious to general learners.

Etymology

Reappraisal comes from re- 'again' and appraisal from appraise 'to judge', and in psychology it means changing the way you judge a situation so it feels different. So reappraisal is a way of looking at the same event again in a new way to change your emotions.