Construct (philosophy)

How much of what the observer perceives is objective is controversial, so the exact definition of constructs varies greatly across different views and philosophies.

In the philosophy of science, particularly in reference to scientific theories, a hypothetical construct is an explanatory variable which is not directly observable.

For example, the concepts of intelligence and motivation are used to explain phenomena in psychology, but neither is directly observable.

A hypothetical construct differs from an intervening variable in that it has properties and implications which have not been demonstrated in empirical research.

McCorquodale and Meehl (1948) discussed the distinction between what they called intervening variables and these hypothetical constructs.

Thus, according to Cronbach and Meehl (1955), a useful construct of intelligence or personality should imply more than simply test scores.

An object's center of mass certainly "exists" in some sense, but not in the same sense in which the object itself does.
Diseases like Leukemia are important explanatory concepts, but do not 'exist' in the same way as a rock or a pencil