Practical Research 2: Quarter 1 - Module 2 Research Variables
Practical Research 2: Quarter 1 - Module 2 Research Variables
Quarter 1 - Module 2
Research Variables
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Practical Research 2 – Grade 12
Quarter 1 - Module 2: Research Variables
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Practical Research 2 - Grade 12
Quarter 1 – Module 2
Research Variables
Variable refers to the quantity that changes its value, which can be measured. It has
two types - discrete variable (the one that has a certain number of values) and continuous
variable (the one that can take any value between a given range). Data can be understood
as the quantitative information about a specific characteristic in which the qualitative
characteristic is transformed into quantitative one, by providing numerical data of that
characteristic, thus, the quantitative characteristic is known as a variable.
● By and large – this phrase means “in general” or “on the whole”.
● Categorical – involving, according with, or considered with respect to specific
categories
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● Continuous – marked by uninterrupted extension in space, time, or sequence.
● Continuous Variable – a variable can take on any value between its minimum value
and its maximum value
● Continuum – a coherent whole characterized as a collection, sequence, or
progression of values or elements varying by minute degrees.
● Controlled Variable – an element that is not changed throughout an experiment,
because its unchanging state allows the relationship between the other variables
being tested to be better understood.
● Discrete – consisting of distinct or unconnected elements
● Discrete Variable – A type of variable, also called a categorical or nominal variable,
which has a finite number of possible values that do not have an inherent order.
● Diametrically opposite – this phrase means “completely different”.
● Distinct – Recognizably different in nature from something else of a similar type.
● Finite – this term means limited in size or extent.
● Infinite – limitless or endless in space, extent, or size
● Interval – space between two things or a gap:
● Isolated Point – a point in a set such that the neighborhood of the point is devoid of
any other points belonging to the set.
● Mutually Exclusive –a statistical term describing two or more events that cannot
coincide. It is commonly used to describe a situation where the occurrence of one
outcome supersedes the other.
● Mutually Inclusive – applies to things that must be together or occur together which
can be natural law, design or imposition.
● Overlapping – covering something partly by going over its edge, or covering part of
the same space.
● Qualitative Data – data that are non-numeric, such as colors, images and
descriptions.
● Quantitative Data – numeric data, are much easier to analyze than qualitative data,
which are descriptive and open to interpretation.
● Random – in statistical sample selection in which all possible samples have equal
probability of selection.
● Range – the difference between the least and greatest values of an attribute or of the
variable of a frequency distribution.
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● Socio-economic Status – state the position of an individual on a social-economic
scale that measures such factors as education, income, type of occupation, place of
residence, and, in some populations, heritage and religion
● Statistical Variable – a variable having discrete values that differ through random
causes and when arranged in order form a statistical distribution or array
● Variable – something that changes or that can be changed : something that varies.
mathematics : a quantity that can have any one of a set of values or a symbol that
represents such a quantity.
Direction: MULTIPLE CHOICE In each item, choose the letter of the correct answer.
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper which will serve as your answer
sheet. Be sure not to write anything on this learning module.
1. Research Question: Does heating a cup of water allow it to dissolve more sugar? What is
the dependent variable (DV)? ______
2. The changes that occur in an experiment that are directly caused by the researchers are
called _____
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4. Which of these is NOT discrete data? _____
D. The number of people who drive through a red light each hour during rush hour
5. By recording the number and type of questions asked by students you can measure their
confusion with new subjects.' Which of the following is the independent variable in this
situation?
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A discrete variable is a type of statistical variable that can assume only fixed
number of distinct values and lacks an inherent order. This is also known as a categorical
variable, because it has separate, invisible categories. However no values can exist
in-between two categories, i.e. it does not attain all the values within the limits of the
variable. Hence if you are able to count the set of items, then the variable is said to be
discrete.
Continuous variable, as the name suggest is a random variable that assumes all the
possible values in a continuum. Simply put, it can take any value within the given range. So,
if a variable can take an infinite and uncountable set of values, then the variable is referred
as a continuous variable. A continuous variable is one that is defined over an interval of
values, meaning that it can suppose any values in between the minimum and maximum
value. It can be understood as the function for the interval and for each function, the range
for the variable may vary.
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❖ In general, continuous variables are not counted.
❖ The values can be subdivided into smaller and smaller
pieces and they have additional meaning.
❖ The continuous data is measurable.
❖ It has an infinite number of possible values within an interval.
❖ Continuous data is graphically displayed by histograms.
In comparison to discrete data, continuous data give a much
better sense of the variation that is present.
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The variable which The variable which
Meaning assumes a finite number of assumes an infinite number
isolated values. of different values.
Range of specified number Complete Incomplete
Values Values are obtained by Values are obtained by
counting. measuring.
Classification Non-overlapping Overlapping
Assumes Distinct or separate values. Any value between the two
values.
Represented by Isolated Connected points
points
By and large, both discrete and continuous variable can be qualitative and
quantitative. However, these two statistical terms are diametrically opposite to one another in
the sense that the discrete variable is the variable with the well-defined number of permitted
values whereas a continuous variable is a variable that can contain all the possible values
between two numbers.
Activity: Identify whether the given information is discrete or continuous variable. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper which will serve as your answer sheet. Be sure not to
write anything on this learning module.
1. Person’s weight/age/height
2. Profit earned by the company
3. Travel time from Manila to Cebu
4. Grade level of students
5. Number of siblings of an individual
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variable), If you are having a hard time identifying which variable is the independent variable
and which is the dependent variable, remember the dependent variable is the one affected
by a change in the independent variable. If you write out the variables in a sentence that
shows cause and effect, the independent variable causes the effect on the dependent
variable. If you have the variables in the wrong order, the sentence won't make sense.
Independent variable causes an effect on the dependent variable.
Example: How long you sleep (independent variable) affects your test score (dependent
variable). This makes sense
Example: Your test score affects how long you sleep
This doesn't really make sense (unless you can't sleep because you are worried
you failed a test, but that would be a different experiment).
The independent variable is the condition that you change in an experiment. It is the
variable you control. It is called independent because its value does not depend on and is
not affected by the state of any other variable in the experiment. Sometimes you may hear
this variable called the "controlled variable" because it is the one that is changed. Do not
confuse it with a "control variable," which is a variable that is purposely held constant so that
it can't affect the outcome of the experiment. An independent variable is a variable that the
experimenter (or nature) manipulates in order to perform the experiment. A researcher will
use this information to help understand the outcome of their experiment.
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● For example, if a researcher wants to see how well different doses of a
medication work, the dose is the independent variable.
● Suppose you want to see if studying more improves your test scores. The
amount of time you spend studying is the independent variable
When distinguishing between variables, ask yourself if it makes sense to say one
leads to the other. Since a dependent variable is an outcome, it can’t cause or change the
independent variable.
● For instance, “Studying longer leads to a higher test score” makes sense, but
“A higher test score leads to studying longer” is nonsense.
Activity: From the given examples, identify the dependent and independent variables by
writing your answers (independent variable/dependent variable) on the blanks. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper which will serve as your answer sheet. Be sure not to
write anything on this learning module.
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● In a study to determine whether how long a student sleeps affects test scores, the
_________________________ is the length of time spent sleeping while the
_________________________ is the test score.
● You want to compare brands of paper towels, to see which holds the most liquid. The
_____________________ in your experiment would be the brand of paper towel.
The ________________ would be the amount of liquid absorbed by the paper towel.
● In an experiment to determine how far people can see into the infrared part of the
spectrum, the wavelength of light is the _____________________ and whether the
light is observed (the response) is the _________________________
● You want to determine whether a chemical is essential for rat nutrition, so you design
an experiment. The presence/absence of the chemical is the _________________.
The health of the rat (whether it lives and can reproduce) is the ________________.
If you determine the substance is necessary for proper nutrition, a follow-up
experiment might determine how much of the chemical is needed. Here, the amount
of chemical would be the __________________ and the rat health would be the
_______________________.
● Imagine that a tutor asks 100 students to complete a math test. The tutor wants to
know why some students perform better than others. Whilst the tutor does not know
the answer to this, she thinks that it might be because of two reasons: Some
students spend more time revising for their test; and some students are naturally
more intelligent than others. Therefore, the tutor decides to investigate the effect of
revision time and intelligence on the test performance of the 100 students. As such,
the dependent and independent variables for the study are:
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an extra sheet of paper to write your answers. Be sure not to write anything on this
learning module.
DISCRETE
CONTINUOUS
INDEPENDENT
DEPENDENT
Direction: Read and analyse each scenario and indicate the independent variable and
dependent variable. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper which will serve
as your answer sheet. Be sure not to write anything on this learning module.
A researcher wants to examine whether a new drug increases the maze running
performance of rats. The researcher teaches two groups of rats to find a piece of food in a
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maze. One group of rats is given the new drug while they are learning the maze. The second
group is not given the drug. One week after having learned the maze, the researcher retests
the rats and records how long it takes them to find the food.
A researcher wanted to test whether the number of people present (either 1, 6, 12,
24) would influence subjects’ judgments on a simple perceptual task. In each case, the other
members of the group gave the incorrect answer. The researcher then noted whether the
subject conformed to the group decision.
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Be sure not to write anything on this learning module.
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Independent, Dependent) and write proofs to
support your answers. Write your answers on a
separate sheet of paper which will serve as your answer sheet. Be sure not to write
anything on this learning module.
Example: 1. Research Title: The Amount of Sleep and Classroom Behaviour of
Grade 7 Students of De La Salle Zobel.
Independent Variable: The amount of sleep Dependent Variable: classroom behaviour
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Direction: Think and write a scenario on each of the kinds of
DISCRETE CONTINUOUS
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INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
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WRITING TASK SCORING RUBRICS
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No spelling &/or Minimal spelling Noticeable Unacceptable
MECHANICS grammar &/or grammar spelling & number of
(SPELLING & mistakes. mistakes. grammar spelling and/or
GRAMMAR) mistakes. grammar
mistakes
TOTALS
Adapted from: Whalen, S. (2020) “Rubric from Contemporary Health Issues Research
Paper” http://academics.adelphi.edu/edu/hpe/healthstudies/whalen/HED601_r2.shtml
IV. Pre-Test
1. B
2. B
3. C
4. A
5. A
Practice Task 2
Practice Task 3
Post-Test
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{Answers may vary}
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978-521-8035-17.1. (1-8)
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Retrieved on June 22, 2020.
Trochim, W.M. (2017). “Establishing Cause and Effect.” Research Methods Knowledge
Base, 10/20/2006. Web 1/24/2017. Retrieved from
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/stats_tutorial/section2/mod4_variables.html Retrieved
on June 17, 2020.
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Trochim, W.M. (2017). “Bias, Confounding and Effect Modification” Stat 507, Epidemiological
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