VARIABLES

INTRODUCTION

Each person/thing we collect data on is called an observation (in our

research work these are usually people/subjects).

Observation (participants) possess a variety of characteristics.

If a characteristic of an observation (participant) is the same for every

member of the group i.e. it does not vary, it is called a constant.

If a characteristic of an observation (participant) differs for group members it

is called a variable.

MEANING OF VARIABLE

A variable is a concept or abstract idea that can be described in measurable

terms. In research, this term refers to the measurable characteristics,
qualities, traits, or attributes of a particular individual, object, or situation
being studied.

Anything that can vary can be considered a variable. For instance, age can
be considered a variable because age can take different values for different
people or for the same person at different times. Similarly, Income can be
considered a variable because a person's Income can be assigned a value.

Variables are properties or characteristics of some event, object, or person

that can take on different values or amounts.

A variable is not only something that we measure, but also something that
we can manipulate and something we can control for.

TYPES OF VARIABLES

DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

Independent variables are variables which are manipulated or controlled

or changed. It is what the researcher studies to see its relationship or effects.
(Presumed or possible cause)

Dependent variables are the outcome variables and are the variables for
which we calculate statistics. The variable which changes on account of
independent variable is known as dependent variable. i.e. It is influenced or
affected by the independent variable. (Presumed results)
Example: 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: (1) some students spend more time revising for
their test; and (2) some students are naturally more intelligent than others.
As such, the tutor decides to investigate the effect of revision time and
intelligence on the test performance of the 100 students. What are the
dependent and independent variables for the study?

Solution: Dependent Variable: Test Mark (measured from 0 to 100)

Independent Variables: Revision time (measured in hours) and Intelligence

(measured using IQ score)

Activity: Identify the dependent and Independent Variables for the following
examples:

1. A study of teacher-student classroom interaction at different levels of

schooling.

2. A comparative study of the professional attitudes of secondary school

teachers by gender.

Solution:

1. Independent variable: Level of schooling, four categories - primary, upper

primary, secondary and junior college.

Dependent variable: Score on a classroom, observation inventory which

measures teacher-student interaction

2. Independent variable: Gender of the teacher - male, female.

Dependent variable: Score on a professional attitude inventory.

Moderator Variable

It is a special type of independent variable. The independent variable's

relationship with the dependent variable may change under different
conditions. That condition is the moderator variable.

That factor which is measured, manipulated, or selected by the experimenter

to discover whether it modifies the relationship of the independent variable
to an observed phenomenon.

Example: A strong relationship has been observed between the quality of

library facilities (X) and the performance of the students (Y). Although this
relationship is supposed to be true generally, it is nevertheless contingent on
the interest and inclination of the students. It means that only those students
who have the interest and inclination to use the library will show improved
performance in their studies.

In this relationship interest and inclination is moderating variable i.e. which

moderates the strength of the association between X and Y variables.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE VARIABLES

Quantitative variables are ones that exist along a continuum that runs
from low to high. Interval, and ratio variables are quantitative. Quantitative
variables are sometimes called continuous variables because they have a
variety (continuum) of characteristics. Height in inches and scores on a test
would be examples of quantitative variables.

Qualitative variables do not express differences in amount, only

differences. They are sometimes referred to as categorical variables because
they classify by categories. Ordinal and nominal variables are qualitative.
Variables such as gender, religion, or eye color are categorical variables.

Nominal Scale

Nominal Scale, also called the categorical variable scale, is defined as a scale
used for labeling variables into distinct classifications and doesn't involve a
quantitative value or order. This scale is the simplest of the four variable
measurement scales.

Examples: Gender, Political preferences, Place of Residence

Ordinal Scale

Ordinal Scale is defined as a variable measurement scale used to simply

depict the order of variables (what's important and significant) and not the
difference between each of the variables (differences between each one is
not really known)

For example, is the difference between "OK" and "Unhappy" the same as the
difference between "Very Happy" and "Happy?" We can't say.

Ordinal scales are typically measures of non- numeric concepts like

satisfaction, happiness, discomfort, etc.

"Ordinal" is easy to remember because it sounds like "order" and that's the
key to remember with "ordinal scales"-it is the order that matters.
Example: On a survey you might code Educational Attainment as: 0-less than
high school; 1=some high school.; 2=high school degree; 3=some college; 4-
college degree; 5-post college. In this measure, higher numbers mean more
education. But is distance from 0 to 1 same as 3 to 4? Of course not.

Interval scale

Interval Scale is defined as a numerical scale where the order of the

variables is known as well as the difference between these variables.
Variables which have familiar, constant and computable differences are
classified using the Interval scale.

Interval scale contains all the properties of ordinal scale, in addition to which,
it offers a calculation of the difference between variables. The main
characteristic of this scale is the equidistant difference between objects.

In statistics, interval scale is frequently used as a numerical value can not

only be assigned to variables but calculation on the basis of those values can
also be carried out.

also fall under this category of measurement scales.

Likert scale is the most-used interval scale example.

Ratio Scale

Ratio Scale is defined as a variable measurement scale that not only

produces the order of variables but also makes the difference between
variables known along with information on the value of true zero.

It is calculated by assuming that the variables have an option for zero, the
difference between the two variables is the same and there is a specific
order between the options.

In addition to the fact that the ratio scale does everything that a nominal,
ordinal and interval scale can do, it can also establish the value of absolute
zero.

Examples

The following questions fall under the Ratio Scale category:

1. What is your daughter's current height?

- Less than 5 feet. - 5 feet 1 inch - 5 feet 5 inches

- 5 feet 6 inches- 6 feet - More than 6 feet

2. What is your weight in kilograms? Less than 50 kilograms

- 51-70 kilograms

- 71-90 kilograms

- 91-110 kilograms

- More than 110 kilograms

CONTINUOUS AND DISCONTINUOUS VARIABLES

If the values of a variable can be divided into fractions then we call it a

continuous variable. Such a variable can take infinite number of values.
Income, temperature, age, or a test score are examples of continuous
variables. These variables may take on values within a given range or, in
some cases, an infinite set.

Any variable that has a limited number of distinct values and which cannot
be divided into fractions, is a discontinuous variable. Such a variable is
also called as categorical variable or classificatory variable, or discrete
variable. Some variables have only two values, reflecting the presence or
absence of a property. Example: Employed-Unemployed or Male-Female have
two values. These variables are referred to as dichotomous. There are others
that can take added categories such as the demographic variables of race,
religion. All such variables that produce data that categories are said to be fit
into discrete/categorical/classificatory, since only certain values are possible.

Variables Examples:

Dichotomous: Gender (Male and Female), Type of Property (Residential or

Commercial), Pregnant or Non-Pregnant, Alive or Deceased, HIV-positive or
HIV-negative, Education (Literate or Illiterate)

Trichotomous: Residence (Urban, Semi-urban, Rural), Religion (Hindu, Islam,

Christianity)

Multiple: Blood Groups (A, B, AB, O)

DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES

Demographic variables are characteristics or attributes of subjects that

are collected to describe the sample. They are also called sample
characteristics.
It means these variables describe study sample and determine if samples are
representative of the population of interest. Although demographic variables
cannot be manipulated, researchers can explain relationships between
demographic variables and dependent variables. Some common
demographic variables are age, gender, occupation, marital status, income
etc.

EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES

It happens sometimes that after completion of the study we wonder that the
actual result is not what we expected. In spite of taking all the possible
measures the outcome is unexpected. It is because of extraneous
variables.

Variables that may affect research outcomes but have not been adequately
considered in the study are termed as extraneous variables. Extraneous
variables exist in all studies and can affect the measurement of study
variables and the relationship among these variables.

Extraneous variables that are not recognized until the study is in process, or
are recognized before the study is initiated but cannot be controlled, are
referred to as confounding variables. These variables interfere the results
of the existing activity.

Certain external variables may influence the relationship between the

research variables, even though researcher cannot see it. These variables
are called intervening variables.

CONTROL VARIABLES

Sometimes certain characteristics of the objects under scrutiny are

deliberately left unchanged. These are known as constant or controlled
variables.

The variables that are not measured in a particular study must be held
constant, neutralized/balanced, or eliminated, so they will not have a biasing
effect on the other variables.

In the ice cube experiment, one constant or controllable variable could be

the size and shape of the cube. By keeping the ice cubes' sizes and shapes
the same, it's easier to measure the differences between the cubes as they
melt after shifting their positions, as they all started out as the same size.