In change management, which stage describes a period where anxiety builds as individuals decide whether to invest in the change?

• A. Adoption
• B. Confusion
• C. Denial
• D. Experimentation

Answer: (B)

The situation tested is how people respond to change at the moment they weigh whether to invest in it. This is when anxiety tends to rise, because individuals are uncertain about what the change will require, how it will affect their roles and routines, and whether the expected benefits justify the effort. They pause to seek information, ask questions, and consider risks before committing to adopt the change. That sense of doubt and careful evaluation is the hallmark of the confusion stage.

Adoption would come after people have decided to commit and start using the change. Denial involves resisting or refusing to acknowledge the change. Experimentation is when people start trying out aspects of the change to learn how it works in practice.