Which of the following individuals is most likely exhibiting a complex emotion?

• A. A person feeling pride after winning a difficult competition
• B. A person experiencing anger when their favorite team loses
• C. A person experiencing fear when startled by a loud noise
• D. A person feeling happiness after receiving a compliment

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the difference between basic and complex emotions. Basic emotions are universal and include feelings like happiness, fear, anger, and sadness. Complex emotions, on the other hand, involve a combination of basic emotions and often require self-awareness and social context, such as pride, guilt, shame, or embarrassment.
2. Step 2: Identify the emotions described in each option. For example, anger, fear, and happiness are basic emotions, while pride is considered a complex emotion because it involves self-evaluation and social recognition.
3. Step 3: Analyze the context of each emotion. Pride after winning a difficult competition involves reflecting on personal achievement and social standards, which is characteristic of complex emotions.
4. Step 4: Compare the options to determine which one fits the criteria for a complex emotion. The person feeling pride is engaging in a more cognitively and socially complex emotional experience than the others.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the individual feeling pride after winning a difficult competition is most likely exhibiting a complex emotion, as it requires higher-order cognitive processes beyond basic emotional responses.