________ is the need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.

A) Motivation
B) Emotion
C) Cognition
D) Instinct

Motivation is defined as the need or desire that energizes and directs behavior, making it the best choice among the options. Emotion refers to feelings and affective states, cognition involves mental processes such as perception and thought, and instinct refers to inherited, automatically triggered behaviors that do not necessarily involve conscious thought or motivation.