Which stage of change is described as the first to grapple with change and contain anxiety?

• A. Curiosity
• B. Denial
• C. Confusion
• D. Acceptance

Answer: (C)

When people first encounter change, they begin to process what’s happening but haven’t yet figured out what it means. That moment is confusion: you recognize that something is changing, but the details and implications are unclear, so you start asking questions and trying to make sense of it. The anxiety comes from not knowing how things will play out or what steps to take next, which is exactly what it means to grapple with the change. Curiosity would involve exploring the change with interest rather than the uncertainty that triggers anxiety; denial is avoiding acknowledgment of the change, and acceptance comes later after you’ve understood and processed what’s happening. So confusion best fits a stage where change is acknowledged but not yet understood, with anxiety accompanying that uncertainty.