Cognitive Appraisal and The (De)Motivating and Strain Effects of Challenge and Hindrance Stressors

The current study aims to refine the challenge and hindrance stress model by investigating how cognitive appraisal intervenes the (de)motivating effect and strain effect of challenge and hindrance stressors. We conducted two sub-studies to examine the research model at between-person level (study 1) and within-person level (study 2). The results from both studies were highly convergent. Challenge appraisal was found to mediate the positive relationship between challenge stressors and work engagement, and a negative relationship between hindrance stressors and work engagement. Hindrance appraisal was found to mediate the positive relationships of challenge and hindrance stressors with job-related anxiety. We thus conclude that challenge appraisal explains the (de)motivating effect and hindrance appraisal explains the strain effect of challenge and hindrance stressors.