Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: 3, 2, 5, 1, 4
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question deals with emotional states and asks you to arrange them in a logical order. The given words are Ambivalence, Happiness, Pleasure, Euphoria, and Ecstasy. You must think about how these states relate in terms of clarity and intensity of positive feeling. Logical sequence questions of this type test your understanding of subtle gradations in meaning and your ability to order abstract concepts sensibly.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
We aim to move from a state of uncertainty to gradually stronger and more intense positive emotions. Ambivalence is a starting point where feelings are mixed, not clearly positive or negative. Happiness is a clear positive state. Pleasure is also positive and can be regarded as a somewhat more focused or sustained enjoyment. Euphoria represents a high level of happiness with intense excitement, and Ecstasy is an even more extreme and overwhelming positive experience. Therefore we arrange the words from the least certain positive state to the most intense one.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Place Ambivalence (3) first, as it reflects uncertainty or mixed emotions.
Step 2: Once the uncertainty clears, a person can feel stable Happiness (2).
Step 3: From a baseline of happiness, specific experiences and comforts produce a deeper sense of Pleasure (5).
Step 4: When pleasure grows and becomes highly energised, the feeling becomes Euphoria (1), a state of intense elation.
Step 5: Beyond euphoria lies Ecstasy (4), representing an extremely powerful, almost overwhelming joy.
Step 6: The logical sequence is therefore 3, 2, 5, 1, 4.
Verification / Alternative check:
We can cross check by thinking of a scale of intensity. On one end we have a state where the direction of emotion is unclear, Ambivalence. Moving rightwards we encounter moderate and familiar positive emotions such as Happiness and then richer Pleasure. Farther along we see strong high energy states such as Euphoria, and at the extreme end, Ecstasy. This progression from uncertain to very intense positive feelings corresponds exactly to the order 3, 2, 5, 1, 4. No other option offers a comparably smooth and justified gradient in emotional intensity.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (1, 4, 2, 5, 3) begins with Euphoria and Ecstasy and ends with Ambivalence, which reverses the natural order of intensity and mixes a peak state with uncertainty at the end. Option B (2, 1, 3, 4, 5) inserts Ambivalence after Euphoria, which is illogical because mixed feelings would not reasonably follow a peak of positive emotion. Option D (4, 1, 3, 2, 5) also places extreme states before mixed and moderate states, contradicting the idea of a gradual build in intensity. These sequences fail to reflect a coherent emotional progression.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners focus only on dictionary definitions without considering how the words compare on a scale of intensity. Others confuse Pleasure and Happiness or treat them as interchangeable, which can lead to multiple possible orders. To avoid such pitfalls, imagine a person moving from confusion or mixed feelings towards greater and greater joy, and ask which word best fits each step along that journey. This conceptual approach usually makes the correct sequence clearer.
Final Answer:
The correct logical sequence is 3, 2, 5, 1, 4, which corresponds to Ambivalence, Happiness, Pleasure, Euphoria, and Ecstasy, matching option C.
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