Abstracted Personal Stress Appraisal

The thin line around each circle represents what you notice first (readily detectable characteristics). The inside of each circle means all deep-level characteristics someone has (e.g., personality, self-esteem, attitudes, education, skills, etc.). The arrows surrounding the circles represent sources of personal stress (e.g., fears, performance, peer-pressure, socio-economical issues, uncertainties, etc.). Anyone is free to interpret the meaning of the size and color of each arrow, because people differ on what they perceive as a source of personal stress. Further, depending of the personal stress you are enduring, it may affect others (bowed red thin arrow). Though, it may be reduced by social support (bowed green arrow). The green arrow makes a difference in reducing the size of all other arrows.