What is the term for the forces that energize, direct, and sustain goal-directed behavior?

The correct term for the forces that energize, direct, and sustain goal-directed behavior is motivation. Motivation encompasses the internal processes that activate and guide behavior toward achieving specific goals. It includes the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that drive an individual to act.

Motivation can manifest in various forms, such as intrinsic motivation, where behavior is driven by internal rewards like personal satisfaction or fulfillment, and extrinsic motivation, where behavior is influenced by external rewards such as money or praise. Understanding motivation is crucial for comprehending why individuals engage in particular actions and how they pursue their goals.

In contrast, terms like drive and incentive, while related to motivation, do not encompass its full meaning. Drive refers to an internal state that activates behavior to fulfill a need, whereas incentive refers to external factors that motivate behavior. Personality, on the other hand, describes individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, and does not specifically refer to the forces influencing goal-directed behavior.