Commentary: Latent variables, concepts and definitions

Abstract

The present commentary is a reflection on an article by Corral (2001) about the meaning of latent variables in psychology. The article in question basically represents a semantic exercise in whitch the term latent variable, traditionally defined in a mentalistic way, is redefined in a naturalist (inter) behaviorist way. The author concludes that it is possible to use that term in behavioral science without falling into a mentalism. However, the article suffers from ambiguities that make it unintelligible, particularly with respect to the manifest-latent dichotomy, the concept of obsrevability and the use of under a modern theory of definition, every non-primitive term is stipulating meanings by convention, Hence, any term can, in yet another case of an endemic problem, that is careless philosophical reflection on psychology.