Practical Research 2

Lesson 4: The Nature and Types of Variables and Data

I. Variable categorize or
identify.
The heart or central concept in
research.
a) Example
What is your
gender?
It is primarily measurable
o Female
characteristic that changes in
o Male
value.
o Prefer not to
say
It may be different from
iii. They can also take
characteristic to another
quantitative
characteristic, one group to
values. However,
another group, one person to
these quantitative
another person or even with the
values do not have
same person over time.
numeric
properties. That is,
arithmetic
A variable can be anything that
operation cannot
may assume different numerical
be performed on
or categorical values.
them.

b) Example
II. Levels of Measurement What is your
A. Categorical hair color?
1. Nominal Variables o 1. Brown
Nominal variables represent
o 2. Black
categories that cannot be
o 3. Blonde
order in any particular way.
o 4. Gray
It is only a matter of
o 5. Others
distinguishing by name.

a. Characteristics: b. Examples
i. The responses to a i. Please indicate
nominal variable your marital
can be divided into status:
two or more o Married
categories. o Single
o Separated
ii. A nominal variable o Divorced
is qualitative, o Widowed
which means
numbers are used ii. Religion
here only to iii. Political orientation
iv. Strand

Ezra Dean R. Fabros

12 ABM - Fabella
 v. Eye color o Treasurer
vi. Business type o Auditor
vii. Brand of COVID-19 o Business
vaccines Manager
viii. Favorite TV station o Others (specify)

2. Ordinal Variables v. Highest

This involves data that educational
arranged in some order, but attainment
differences between data. It vi. Academic
has two or more categories Excellence Awards
which can be ranked. vii. Happiness Index
for the Day
a. Characteristics viii. Grade Level
i. It is an extension
of nominal data. c. Likert Scale
ii. It has no It is used by researchers
standardized to prepare
interval scale. questionnaires and get
iii. It establishes a people’s opinions.
relative rank.
iv. It measures Examples:
qualitative traits. i. Training program
v. The median and o Strongly Agree
mode can be o Agree
analyzed o Disagree
vi. It has rank or o Strongly
order.
Disagree

ii. Program objectives

b. Examples
were attained
i. Ranking Contest
o Strongly Agree
o Champion
o Agree
o First Runer Up
o Disagree
o Second Runner
o Strongly
Up
Disagree
ii. T-shirt size:
iii. Venue was clean
Small, Medium,
o Strongly
and Large
Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
iii. Military Rank
o Strongly
iv. Class Officers Disagree
o President
B. Numerical
o Vice President
3. Interval Variables
o Secretary
 Practical Research 2
Lesson 4: The Nature and Types of Variables and Data

It provides information
about order and provides an iv. The intervals on
interval. It also determines the scales are
meaningful amounts of equal in an
differences between the interval
data. variable. The
scale is
a. Characteristics: equidistant.
i. It is one of the 2
types of v. The variables
quantitative are measured
variables. It using an
takes numeric interval scale,
and may be which not only
classified as a shows the order
continuous but also shows
variable type. the exact
difference in the
ii. Arithmetic value.
operations can
be performed vi. It has no zero
on interval value
variables. .
However, these b. Examples:
operations are i. Performance Level
restricted to of the Students
only addition
and subtraction.

Example:
Temperature
30° → 20° → 10° → 0°
→ -10°

iii. The interval

variable in an
extension of the
ordinal variable.
In other words,
we could say
interval
variables are
built upon
ordinary
variables.
Ezra Dean R. Fabros
12 ABM - Fabella
 o 41-50:
Outstanding
o 31-40: Very
Satisfactory
o 21-30:
Satisfactory
o 11-20: Fairly
Satisfactory
o 1-10: Did not
Meet
Expectations

ii. IQ Test
iii. Time
iv. Test Score
v. Grade Point
Average (GPA)

4. Ratio Variables
Ratio variables have the
properties of interval
variable and has a clear
definition of zero, indication
that there is none of that
variable and allows all
arithmetic operations.
 Practical Research 2
Lesson 4: The Nature and Types of Variables and Data

Examples:
a. Age
o 20 years old
o 10 years old
o 2 years old
o 1 year old
o 0-year-old
b. Height
What is your height in
feet and inches?
c. Weight
What is your weight in
kilograms?
d. Distance
e. Number of siblings

Ezra Dean R. Fabros

12 ABM - Fabella