Final answer:
Maria is demonstrating empathy by considering Sofia's perspectives and potential hesitations regarding the request to drive her to the airport.
Step-by-step explanation:
Maria is engaging in empathy as she tries to understand Sofia's motivations and potential barriers that may prevent her from agreeing to drive Maria to the airport. Empathy involves putting one's self in another person's shoes and trying to understand their feelings and perspectives. This is different from sympathy, which involves feeling compassion for someone; persuasion, which is an attempt to influence someone's decision or opinion; and manipulation, which involves unfairly controlling or influencing someone. By considering Sofia's situation, Maria is showing empathy.