What is the term for psychological tension and arousal that occurs when there is a need, pushing the organism to act?

• A. Drive
• B. Need
• C. Instincts
• D. Homeostasis

Answer: (A)

The term describes motivational energy that arises when something is needed and pushes you to act. This internal state—drive—energizes and directs behavior toward satisfying the deficit. For example, when you’re hungry, the body’s need for energy creates a drive that motivates you to seek and eat food. The idea is that a need is the deprivation itself, while drive is the aroused, effortful state that motivates action to reduce that deprivation. Instincts are more about inherited, automatic patterns of behavior, not necessarily tied to a current deficit. Homeostasis refers to the system that keeps internal conditions stable, which explains why drives exist but isn’t the motivational push itself. So, the best term for this pushing force is drive.