Secondary appraisal determines if coping can stop, if it needs to be increased or modified, if it coping is successful or if it is failing. In other words, it estimates the effectiveness of coping acts.

If the coping is effective in reducing the threat of harm, then the person does not experience the symptoms of stress, and, though the resources to deal with the demand will still be “tied-up” by coping with that demand, on its own it will be a normal cost of day to day activity. Sometimes, low level demands that on their own tie up small amounts of coping capacity are referred to as “Hassles”. Unfortunately, hassles area part of our lives in the modern world. They constitute little things, like the bus or train breaking down, loosing your credit card, your car breaking down, unexpected bills, a family member getting sick, your teacher requiring you to re-write an assignment, and so forth. In most cases, these events alone are no more than irritations. However, imagine if all of these things happened on the same day! By the end of the day you will be feeling pretty stretched and very irritable. If there was suddenly a significant demand placed on you, such as being told your father had had a heart attack and had been admitted to hospital, which you might ordinarily be able to cope with, you might find it all too much and feel very stressed.

The point of this is that hassles, and other coping demands are additive. The cumulative effect can generate stress in the absence of any one particularly significant event. When these kinds of conditions are prolonged, it can lead to a state known as “Burnout”. With burnout, there is repeated and chronic coping demand that eventually leads to coping exhaustion. So, you don’t need a major life-threatening threat to experience stress, lots of little demands can cause it. This implies people have limited coping capacity.

If coping effectiveness is marginally effective, then the person will either strive harder, directing more coping resources to deal with the demands, or will use different coping strategies. As coping demands approach, match and begin to exceed available resources, the individual begins to feel increasing symptoms of stress. The more personal resources that are devoted to dealing with the demand, the fewer personal resources available to manage other aspects day-to-day aspects of life, all of which require some resources. This situation is usually most stressful.