The meaning of “latent variables” in psychology

Abstract

The meaning of “latent variables” is matter of controversy among the mentalistas and naturalistic psychological approaches. While the former conceive “latent” as a composite of internal entities guiding behavior, the latter refer latent variables as terms describing sets of inter-related events. In this paper, both positions are presented by analyzing features such as internality, unobservability and autonomy, which are presumed to be characteristics of latent structure. In addition, the divergences regarding the notions of causality and covariation, as descriptions of the relations between latent and manifest variables, are pointed out. The implications of assuming either conceptual position in the scientific study of behavior are discussed.