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Variables in Quantitative Research

The document defines key terms used in quantitative research including variables, which can be quantitative or qualitative, and classifications of variables as independent, dependent, or extraneous. It also provides examples to illustrate different types of variables such as discrete vs continuous, interval vs ratio, and dichotomous vs nominal vs ordinal. Common study designs are presented with examples of how independent, dependent, and extraneous variables relate to research questions and hypotheses.

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Mary Gwyneth Perez
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36 views

Variables in Quantitative Research

The document defines key terms used in quantitative research including variables, which can be quantitative or qualitative, and classifications of variables as independent, dependent, or extraneous. It also provides examples to illustrate different types of variables such as discrete vs continuous, interval vs ratio, and dichotomous vs nominal vs ordinal. Common study designs are presented with examples of how independent, dependent, and extraneous variables relate to research questions and hypotheses.

Uploaded by

Mary Gwyneth Perez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Variables in

Quantitative
Research
Any factor or property that a
researcher measures, controls or
manipulates

The changing quantity or measure


of any factor, trait or condition

It is also a logical set of attributes,


characteristics, quantities that can
be measured or counted. Variable
Classifications of Variables
• I. Quantitative Variables,
➢also called numerical
variables,
A. Discrete variables are
B. Continuous variables can take
countable whole numbers. It
on an unlimited number of values
does not take negative values or
between the lowest and highest
values between fixed points. For
points of measurement. Example:
example: number of students in a
height, temperature.
class, group size and frequency.
Discrete or Continuous?
1. The number of defective computers produced by a manufacturer.

2. The weight of newborns each year in a hospital

3. The number of siblings in a family

4. The amount of paint utilized in a building project

5. The number of dropouts in a school


Numerical data have two levels of
measurement, namely:
A. Interval are quantitative variables where the interval or differences between consecutive
values are equal and meaningful but the numbers are arbitrary. For example, the difference
between 36 degrees and 37 degrees is the same as between 100 degrees and 101 degrees. The
zero point does not suggest the absence of a property being measured. Temperature at 0 degree
Celsius is assigned as the melting point of ice. Other examples of interval data would be year and
IQ score.

B. Ratio type of data is similar to interval. The only difference is the presence
of a true zero value. The zero point in this scale indicates the absence of the
quantity being measured. Examples are age, height, weight and distance.
Interval or Ratio?
1. Temperature ( Celsius)

2. Weight

3. Credit score

4. Dose amount

5. pH
II. Qualitative Variables also referred to as Categorical Variables
are not expressed in numbers but are descriptions or categories. It
can be further divided into dichotomous, nominal or ordinal.

A. Dichotomous variable consists of only two distinct categories or


values, for example, gender.
B. Nominal variable simply defines groups of subjects. In here, you may have more
than 2 categories of equivalent magnitude. For example, a basketball player’s number
is used to distinguish him from other players. It certainly does not follow that player 10
is better than player 8. Other examples are blood type, hair color and mode of
transportation.

C. Ordinal variable, from the name itself, denotes that a variable is ranked in a certain
order. This variable can have a qualitative or quantitative attribute. For example, a
survey questionnaire may have a numerical rating as choices like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5ranked
accordingly (5=highest, 1=lowest) or categorical rating like strongly agree, agree,
neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. Other examples or ordinal variable: cancer
stage (Stage I, Stage II, Stage III), Spotify Top 20 hits, academic honors (with highest,
with high, with honors).
Dichotomous, Nominal, Ordinal?

1. Gender
2. Hair color
3. Academic awards
4. Names of people
5. Socio economic status
Independent
Variable

• Usually manipulated in an experiment

• “Manipulated or explanatory” variable

• Cause variable
Dependent Variable

USUALLY AFFECTED BY THE ALSO CALLED AS “RESPONSE OR OUTCOME VARIABLE


MANIPULATION OF THE PREDICTED” VARIABLES
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
Extraneous Called as “mediating
Variable of intervening
variables”

Existing already and


could influence the
result of the study.
Example IV
•Peer Tutoring and Its Effect on
Reading Fluency of Senior High
DV School Students

Extraneous Variables: Learning Space, Lighting and


Ventilation, Noise
IV : Room Temperature
DV : Math Exam Scores
EX : Students IQ/ Abilities
IV : FB Posts
DV : Sales
EX : Product quality/ Current
economic status
IV : Source of Soil
DV : Growth of Pechay
EX : Weather or Environmental
Conditions/ Pests
IV : Charger and Charger cable combination
DV : Charging times/ how fast
EX : Charger quality/ compatibility
IV : Learning Modality
DV : Exam scores
EX : Student learning style/ availability of resources

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