After the Covid-19 pandemic, Vikas would feel stressed every time he saw any person sneezing or coughing. According to cognitive theory of stress appraisal, Vikas appraised the situation as:

Possible Harm

The correct answer is Option (1) → Possible Harm

According to Lazarus’s Cognitive Theory of Stress Appraisal, stress is experienced when a person appraises a situation as threatening or harmful. In this case, Vikas feels stressed when he sees someone sneeze or cough, likely associating it with the risk of infection after the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an example of primary appraisal, where the situation is evaluated as posing possible harm to his health.