Methods adapted from control engineering can be used to discriminate intended from unintended consequences of an organism's actions. By continuously monitoring a quantity called the stability factor it is possible to observe changes in intention which are not visible in overt behavior.
References
1.
MarkenR.Intentional and accidental behavior: A control theory analysis. Psychological Reports, 1982, 50, 647–650.
2.
PowersW. T.Behavior: The control of perceptionChicago, IL: Aldine, 1973.
3.
PowersW. T.Quantitative analysis of purposive systems: Some spadework at the foundations of scientific psychology. Psychological Review, 1978, 85, 417–435.