Maria is pursuing a highly competitive career and she works very hard and persistently at her tasks. Maria's behaviour MOST likely reflects

A) an external locus of control.
B) a high achievement motivation.
C) a high power need.
D) an obsessive-compulsive personality structure.

Maria's hard work and persistence suggest a high achievement motivation, which is the drive to succeed and accomplish challenging goals. This is different from an external locus of control, which would suggest that Maria believes outside forces are primarily responsible for her success or failure. A high power need would suggest a desire to control and influence others, which is not necessarily reflected in Maria's behaviour. The obsessive-compulsive personality structure is characterized by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control that goes beyond what is necessary to achieve success.