To psychologists, motivation refers to ________

a. a state of tension resulting from the deprivation of physical needs, such as those for food and water.
b. a process in which an individual sets goals in order to increase his or her competence and skills.
c. an inferred process within a person or animal that causes that organism to move toward a goal or away from an unpleasant situation.
d. movement through a hierarchy of needs, beginning with survival needs for sleep, food, and water and reaching needs for self-actualization.

Answer: c