Final answer:
The best illustration of Tomas's commitment to practicing field hockey for a college scholarship is extrinsic motivation, driven by external rewards like scholarships, as opposed to intrinsic joy or satisfaction from the activity itself.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tomas's long hours practicing field hockey, despite finding it difficult and not enjoyable, in order to achieve an athletic scholarship, best illustrates the concept of extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is driven by external rewards such as money, fame, grades, and in Tomas's case, a scholarship. This type of motivation contrasts with intrinsic motivation, which is driven by internal rewards and the personal satisfaction and enjoyment of performing an activity. Other options, like homeostasis and arousal theory, do not directly relate to Tomas's situation, as they are not connected to external rewards. Rather, they are related to the maintenance of biological equilibrium and finding an optimal level of arousal respectively. Extrinsic motivation is a powerful force that can drive individuals to work hard for tangible outcomes they perceive as valuable, even when the process may not be inherently pleasurable.