Intervening Variables

Intervening variables are hypothetical internal states

that are used to explain relationships between
observed variables, such independent and dependent
variables.
Intervening variables are not real things. They are
interpretations of observed facts, not facts
themselves. But they create the illusion of being
facts.
EXAMPLES: learning, memory, motivation, attitude,
personality, traits, knowledge, understanding,
thinking, expectation, intelligence, intention.
 Intervening Variables Not Real?

Let’s look again at the experiment by Tolman &

Honzik (1930) on latent learning in rats, specifically,
the group that received a reward every time they
reached the goal box.
One of the Independent Variables was the number of
practice trials the rats received. They got 1 trial per
day, so each rat got an increasing number of trials.
The Dependent Variable was the number of wrong
turns (errors) that rats made on a trial.
The following graph shows a relationship between
the independent variable and the dependent
variable.
 Tolman and Honzik, 1930

Practice Trials Errors

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Learning
Intervening Variable
10

Theoretically, an internal state of

“learning” intervened between the
Average Errors
8

independent variable and the

dependent variable.
6
4

It was this state that caused errors

to decrease, not the practice trials.
2
0

1 10 17
Trials (1 Trial per Day)
 Operational Definitions

Intervening variables are studied by means of

operational definitions, which are descriptions of
procedures that are assumed to have some link to the
internal state.

Operational Operational
Definition Definition
Learning
Practice Trials Errors
Intervening
Independent Dependent
Variable
Variable Variable
 Operational Definitions

Intervening variables have no existence apart from

these observed variables. They are just words,
interpretations of facts, like theories.

Operational Operational
Definition Definition
Learning
Practice Trials Errors
Intervening
Independent Dependent
Variable
Variable Variable
 Operational Definitions Circular
Reasoning

As explanations of behavior, intervening variables can

lead to an error in logic called “circular reasoning” in
which you explain something in terms of itself and so
don’t get beyond the original facts.

To avoid circular reasoning, you must have two or

more operational definitions of the same internal state,
and they must be correlated.

Here’s an example of circular reasoning that results

from having just one operational definition.
 Operational Definitions Circular
Reasoning

Two rats receive a food

GOAL GOAL
reward when they run
from the Start box to the
Goal box of a straight
alley runway.
They get an equal
number of practice trials
and run equally fast.
One day, the rat on the
left is observed to run
much faster than the rat
on the right.
 Operational Definitions Circular
Reasoning

Why the difference in

GOAL GOAL
running speeds?
You may want to explain
it in terms of
“motivation,” defined as
an internal state that
causes an organism to
move toward a goal.
More specifically, you
could say that the fast
rat was “hungrier” than
the slow rat.
 Operational Definitions Circular
Reasoning

This is circular reasoning.

GOAL GOAL
It sounds like an
explanation but it isn’t.
Running speed toward a
food reward is a
legitimate operational
definition of hunger.
It’s OK to infer different
levels of hunger from
running speeds, but it’s
circular to then use
hunger to explain those
running speeds.
 Operational Definitions Circular
Reasoning

Running Speed

defines

explains X

“Hunger”

A second operational definition of hunger is

needed to break this circle.
 Operational Definitions Circular
Reasoning

Running Speed For example, the

fast rat may have
defines
been deprived of
food longer than the
slow rat. Hours of
food deprivation
“Hunger” could be used as an
operational
definition of hunger.

defines
Hours of Food Deprivation
 Operational Definitions Circular
Reasoning

Running Speed Different levels of

hunger could be
defines
inferred from the
different periods of
deprivation, and
then these hunger
“Hunger” levels could be used
to explain the
different running
speeds without
circularity.
defines
Hours of Food Deprivation
 Operational Definitions Circular
Reasoning

Running Speed The more

operational
defines definitions you have
that are correlated
with each other, the
more useful would
be the underlying
“Hunger” intervening variable.

defines
Hours of Food Deprivation
 Operational Definitions Circular
Reasoning

Questionnaire Responses
define By this
standard, how
useful would
you say are the
concepts of
Correlated? “Attitude” attitude,
intelligence and
personality trait?

defines

Everyday Behavior
 Observing Internal Events

Intervening variables differ from other kinds of

internal events that are real and can be directly
observed.
Conscious experiences are private events that are
directly sensed by the individual and not open to
observation by others, like self-talk, feelings, and
sensations.
Biological processes are open to observation by
others using appropriate devices, like an EEG
machine to measure electrical activity of the brain.