Which internal state energizes, directs, and sustains behavior toward a goal?

• A. Motivation
• B. Drive-Reduction Theory
• C. Instincts
• D. Arousal Theory

Answer: (A)

Motivation is the internal state that energizes, directs, and sustains behavior toward a goal. It provides the energy to start action, guides which actions to take to reach the goal, and helps you persist even when tasks get tough. This broad concept includes both the pushes from needs and desires and the pulls from anticipated rewards that steer you toward goals.

Drive-Reduction Theory describes a specific mechanism: physiological needs create arousal and drive to reduce discomfort, which is a way motivation operates but not the overall idea itself. Instincts refer to inherited patterns of behavior, not the ongoing internal energy state behind pursuing a goal. Arousal Theory centers on seeking an optimal level of arousal, which explains how people vary in their interest in activities, but it doesn’t inherently specify directing behavior toward a particular outcome.