From subtle shifts in satiety cues to alterations in social dynamics, organisms manage an extensive set of environmental demands. Individuals must anticipate and respond to these shifts in their ever-changing environments to promote survival. Motivational processes coordinate physiological and behavioral prioritization driven by current and anticipated needs. Often as one motivation increases, organisms de-prioritize other motivational processes and shift resources towards behavioral and physiological processes associated with the most pressing needs. This dissertation provides a multi-level analysis of motivation across contexts, focusing on hunger, fatigue, and loneliness. I investigated how individuals dynamically shift physiological resources to meet current needs by examining autonomic physiology during motivational competition. Study 1 focuses on the autonomic correlates of mental and physical fatigue. Data from Study 1 demonstrate that prolonged mental fatigue may increase parasympathetic activity and decrease sympathetic activity. Physical fatigue was associated with rapid sympathoexcitation and parasympathetic withdrawal. Study 2 focuses on hunger and competing need states, demonstrating that brief fasting may increase resting parasympathetic nervous system activity. Finally, Study 3 investigates loneliness and motivated cognition. Results from Study 3 are a departure from past work on the topic, demonstrating that moderate levels of perceived social isolation may not motivate shifts in social cognition. Taken together, these three studies underscore the dynamic nature of psychophysiological systems and motivate future investigation into how social and non-social motivational processes interact.