Final answer:
Motivation is the psychological process that directs and maintains behavior towards a goal, driven by the need to fulfill wants or needs. It includes various life-sustaining processes and is essential to achieve homeostasis and energy homeostasis within the body.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that energizes, guides, and maintains behavior toward a goal is known as motivation. Motivation is a fundamental psychological concept, fundamental to understanding human behavior. It arises from the need to fulfill certain wants or needs that direct our actions.
In the realm of psychology, an example of how motivation works can be found in the drive theory. When physiological needs arise due to deviations from homeostasis, they create psychological drive states that propel us toward behaviors that will satisfy these needs and restore homeostasis. For instance, the need to eat results from a decrease in blood sugar levels, leading to the drive state of hunger, which in turn motivates us to seek food.
Motivation involves subconscious processes that are not consciously controlled. It incorporates several life-sustaining processes such as metabolism, responsiveness, movement, and growth. Moreover, motivation is closely linked with homeostasis and the energy homeostasis, balancing the intake and expenditure of energy.
When discussing higher psychological functions, metacognition is also a form of motivation as it involves thinking about one's thinking process, aligning one's actions, thoughts, and behaviors towards achieving a particular goal.