Sentence:  These kinds of <WSD>latents</WSD> define the "invariant dispositional properties" enabling prediction and control of the external environment. Finally, there are the <WSD>latents</WSD> that underlie manifestation as relationships of power, as cause to effect, condition to occurrence, or dependent variable to independent variable. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An underlying cause that can be inferred from statistical correlations; factor.