What is Reappraisal?
Reappraisal is an emotion regulation strategy that changes the emotional impact of a situation by changing its interpretation. It is the applied form of cognitive reappraisal and one of the most consistently beneficial regulation strategies.
How it works
Reappraisal works by generating an alternative interpretation of the emotion-eliciting situation that changes the emotional response. Unlike suppression (which hides the emotion without changing the experience) or distraction (which redirects attention), reappraisal changes the meaning of the event itself. Research shows that habitual reappraisers have better emotional well-being, social functioning, and cognitive performance than habitual suppressors.
Applied example
Reappraising a job rejection as ‘an opportunity to find a better fit’ rather than ‘proof that I am not good enough’ changes the emotional experience from despair to disappointment-with-hope, enabling constructive action rather than withdrawal.
Why it matters
Reappraisal is a learnable skill that, once developed, provides a versatile tool for managing emotional responses across virtually any challenging situation.
