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Abstract Objective This paper aims to systematically review and synthesize existing empirical evidence examining the factors related to interindividual differences in stressor appraisals (i.e., perceived challenge and threat). Method Studies were identified in PsycINFO, Scopus, Psychological and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and Medline databases (1980-March 2017). Only empirical studies assessing constructs theorized to influence stressor appraisals were included. Results Of the 1956 identified articles, 11 studies reported in 12 articles assessing six constructs met inclusion criteria: Emotional intelligence, Big Five personality traits, anxiety, stress mindset, just world beliefs, and perfectionism. Stronger challenge appraisals were associated with higher emotional intelligence, lower neuroticism, higher extraversion, and more positive beliefs about the consequences of feeling stressed. Weaker threat appraisals were associated with lower neuroticism, and higher emotional intelligence, agreeableness, extraversion, and openness, stronger beliefs that the world is a just and fair place, and lower perfectionistic concerns and greater perfectionistic striving. Anxiety was unrelated to appraisals. Conclusion This review identified factors associated with interindividual differences in stressor appraisals, with some factors related to challenge appraisal but not threat appraisal, and vice versa. This suggests a potentially complex interplay between personality and appraisals. Highlights • There are interindividual differences in the way stressful events are appraised. • This review collates factors related to these interindividual differences. • Eleven studies reporting on six different factors met inclusion criteria. • Very few of the identified factors have been replicated or confirmed. • Some factors related to challenge appraisal but not threat, and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between stress beliefs and stressor appraisals has been limited by the absence of a comprehensive stress belief scale. This paper aimed to develop a new stress belief scale (the Subjective Thoughts REgarding Stress Scale; STRESS) and to assess the association between stress beliefs and stressor appraisals. Study 1: A pool of 75 Likert-type items assessing beliefs about stress and cognition, emotion, social factors, and behavior, was piloted on an international sample (N = 107); all items were found to reflect commonly held beliefs. Study 2: Exploratory factor analysis (N = 419), reduced the scale to 19 items over three factors (Consequences, Social Factors, and Coping Efficacy), demonstrating acceptable construct validity and internal reliability. Study 3: Confirmatory factor analysis (N = 300) replicated the factor structure in a new sample and demonstrated acceptable convergent and divergent validity. Study 4: Predictive validity (N = 137) was demonstrated with stressor appraisals and acceptable test-retest reliability over two weeks. This study provides evidence for both good psychometric properties of the new STRESS measure and predictive validity in terms of an association between stress beliefs and stressor appraisals. • Current stress belief measures do not correlate with stressor appraisals. • Current stress belief measures may have flaws in their development. • This four-study paper reports the development of a new measure, the STRESS. • The STRESS demonstrated satisfactory psychometric requirements. • The STRESS predicted five types of stressor appraisals of a stress induction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]