- Latent variable
In
statistics , latent variables (as opposed toobservable variable s), arevariable s that are not directly observed but are rather inferred (through amathematical model ) from other variables that are observed and directly measured. They are also sometimes known as hidden variables, model parameters, hypothetical variables or hypothetical constructs. The use of latent variables is common insocial science s,robotics , and to an extenteconomics , but the exact definition of a latent variable varies in these fields. Examples of latent variables from the field ofeconomics includequality of life , business confidence, morale, happiness and conservatism: these are all variables which cannot be measured directly. However, given an economic model linking these latent variables to other, observable variables (such as GDP), the values of the latent variables can be inferred from measurements of the observable variables.One advantage of using latent variables is that it reduces the dimensionality of data. A large number of observable variables can be aggregated in a model to represent an underlying concept, making it easier for humans to understand the data. In this sense, they serve the same function as theories in general do in science. At the same time, latent variables link observable ("sub-symbolic") data in the real world, to symbolic data in the modelled world.
Examples of latent variables
Psychology
* extraversion Borsboom, Mellenbergh, van Heerden (2003) "The Theoretical Status of Latent Variables" Psychological Review Vol 110, No 2 http://rhowell.ba.ttu.edu/BorsboomLatentvars2003.pdf]
* spatial ability Borsboom, Mellenbergh, van Heerden (2003) "The Theoretical Status of Latent Variables" Psychological Review Vol 110, No 2 http://rhowell.ba.ttu.edu/BorsboomLatentvars2003.pdf]
* intelligenceee also
*
Latent variable model
*Item response theory
*Rasch model References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.