Explanation:

- Let’s break it down:

- Option 1: Physical construct—This would be something you can touch or see, like a chair, a building, or a rock. Ideal Type isn’t that.

- Option 2: Mental construct—This is something we build in our minds. It’s an idea or model we use to make sense of complicated realities. Think of Max Weber’s Ideal Type: it’s not a thing in the world, but a tool for understanding society and social actions.

- Option 3: Actual constructs—These refer to things that exist in reality. Again, Ideal Type isn’t something we encounter in real life; it’s a concept, not an object or event.

- Option 4: Hypothetical construct—This might seem close, since it’s a theoretical idea. But the main point is that the Ideal Type is used as a mental model, not to suggest something really exists or could exist.

Here’s the thing: the Ideal Type is definitely a mental construct. It’s a way to organize and analyze patterns in real life, not something literally out there or something we claim actually exists.

Option 2: Mental construct