Why is motivation a prerequisite for learning?
Motivation is a mental and physiological state that energises an organism to act for fulfilling a current need. It is a prerequisite for learning because it drives the organism to persist until a goal is attained. Without this drive, the behaviors necessary for acquiring new knowledge would not be initiated.
For example, a child learns the location of a sweet jar only because the need for sweets drives the search. Similarly, a hungry rat learns to press a lever to get food. In these instances, learning occurs specifically because the subject is motivated to satisfy a need.
Finally, motivation determines the effort invested in the process. The more motivated an individual is, the more hard work they do for learning. This drive arises from intrinsic motivation (enjoyment) or extrinsic motivation (attaining other goals).
Explanation
The answer is derived directly from the textbook section 'Motivation'. It establishes the definition of motivation as a state that energises an organism. It uses the specific examples provided in the text (the child foraging for sweets and the hungry rat pressing a lever) to illustrate that learning happens as a byproduct of fulfilling a need. Finally, it incorporates the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and the relationship between motivation and hard work mentioned in the second chunk of the context.