Developing Measures of Latent Constructs

Consumer psychologists create knowledge by developing and testing theories about relationships among constructs. Much of what is studied in consumer psychology involves variables that are “latent” or unobservable. Although actual behavior (things such as product usage or making a purchase) can be observed, much of what is of interest to consumer psychologists is not directly observable (things such as attitude, preference, beliefs, and traits). The field of psychometrics provides us with ways to quantify and measure these latent constructs.