The concept of coping is fascinating because it analyzes how an individual reacts to a situation, as well as whether or not it is effective. Lazarus and Folkman (1984) defined coping as “the constantly evolving cognitive and behavioral efforts made by individuals to manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as demanding or exceeding the person's resources.” This essay will cover the many perspectives on the subject of coping, from a cognitive perspective to the more comprehensive biopsychosocial theory. It will also detail the characteristics of adaptive copers and the effective strategies they use, while comparing and contrasting them with models generally considered maladaptive. The first published theory of coping was devised by Lazarus (1984), who attributed the behavior's cognitive perspective. Lazarus was interested in the concept of stress as a transaction and suggested that people go through stages of evaluation. The first stage is where the individual determines whether or not the event poses a threat. If the event is identified as threatening, the individual then evaluates his or her ability to cope with the stressor. These assessments are repeated regularly to ensure continued accuracy, particularly as the individual attempts to manage the stressor. Dienstbier (1989) refined this theory so that the term “stress” refers only to negative outcomes, whereas the term “challenge” was introduced in reference to transactions that could lead to a positive or negative outcome. The distinction was important because these results resulted in different physiological responses. Frankenhaeuser (1986) found that these responses were related to the level of dissatisfaction in the midst of the situation (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Having a plan for dealing with a stressful situation will significantly enhance an individual's sense of self-efficacy and thus improve their well-being (Roesch, Weiner & Vaughn, 2002). In conclusion, coping is an important skill because it has a major impact on physical and mental health. People use a variety of strategies to try to cope with life stressors, such as solving problems and venting emotions. When a coping strategy endangers an individual's well-being or makes the problem worse in the long term, then it is considered maladaptive. Type B, Type R, and Survivor personalities are known to be the best at coping with stress because they respond to stress instead of just reacting to it. When stressful events are viewed as an opportunity for personal growth, coping becomes second nature..