Unit 1: Nature of Quantitative Research

Lesson 3
Variables in Quantitative
Research

Practical Research 2
Senior High School Applied - Academic
Why is there a
need to
understand the
different
variables in
research?

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 ● Differentiate the kinds of
Learning
variables used in quantitative
Objectives
research and their uses.
At the end of the
● Apply the different variable
lesson, you should concepts in research
be able to do the
following: appropriately.

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1. How do you think our body changes when we eat
nutritious food and exercise regularly?
2. What do you think causes our body to become
unhealthy?

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 Variables in Quantitative Research

Variables are anything that can be observed

by the researchers. A variable may be a
person, thing, place, situation, or
phenomenon.

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Different Variables can be categorized
Types of depending on the level of
Variables
measurement and role.

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Why is it
important to
understand the
roles of
variables in
research?

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 Independent and Dependent
Variables

Roles of The independent variable, also

Variables called causal variable, is
presumed to cause the change
towards another variable, which is
known as the dependent variable
or the outcome variable.
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The independent variable may influence
another variable to change. In experimental
research, independent variables may also be
manipulated to examine the specific effect
they may have toward the dependent variable.

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 The dependent variables are the variables
that are influenced by the independent
variables.

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Example:

1. A researcher is determining the effects of self-

motivation on the productivity of employees.
Independent variable: Self-motivation
Dependent variable: Productivity of employees

How do you think self-motivation can have an effect on

employee productivity?

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Example:

2. A researcher is trying to determine the effectiveness of

different coaching styles on volleyball teams.
Independent Variable: Coaching styles
Dependent Variable: Win streak

How do you think the different coaching styles affect the

win streak of volleyball teams?

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 Mediating
Variables
Mediating variables are also known as
intervening variables since they
intervene between the independent
and dependent variables to show
their connection.
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 Example
A researcher wants to know the effects of working
seven days a week on the employee’s productivity
level.
Independent variable: Seven-day work week
Dependent variable: Productivity level
Mediating variable: Job satisfaction

What do you think makes job satisfaction the mediating

variable?
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Did you know?

A mediating variable may act

as a dependent variable and
independent variable at the
same time.

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 Moderating
Variables
Moderating variables are
variables that have a strong
conditioned effect, which may
modify the relationship
between the independent and
dependent variables.
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 Example

A researcher wants to know the effects of exercising

regularly on one’s weight loss.
Independent variable: Regular exercise
Dependent variable: Weight loss
Moderating variable: Gender

What do you think makes gender a moderating variable?

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Tip

A mediating variable should act as a

dependent variable with respect to the
independent variable and may also cause
change to the dependent variable, while a
moderating variable must not be directly
affected by the independent variable and
should not result to it in any way.
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Extraneous
Variables
Extraneous variables are variables
that should be mainly excluded from
the research study as they may
interfere and compromise with the
experiment and research results.
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 Example
A researcher wants to know the effect of how poor
garbage disposal can have an impact on pollution.
Independent variable: Poor garbage disposal
Dependent variable: Pollution
Extraneous variables: Environmental factors;
people

What makes the variables environmental factors and

people extraneous?
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Level of The measurement level, also called
measurement scales of measure, gives you an
idea of the type of data you have.

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● Level of measurement can be classified into
two: categorical and continuous measures
of variables.
● A categorical variable is further categorized
into nominal and ordinal levels, while a
continuous variable is categorized into
interval and ratio levels.

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 Categorical Variables

● A nominal variable is any variable that

represents different types of data, which may be
divided into groups or categories. There is no
intrinsic order; hence, its frequencies can only be
counted.

The examples are race, ethnicity, and hair color.

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Categorical Variables

● An ordinal variable is any variable that may

also be divided into groups or categories, but it
has intrinsic order or rank. Its frequencies can
be both counted and ranked in which the
distance between categories is not
equivalent.
Some examples are year of graduation, brands
of bags, and food preference.
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Continuous Variables

● An interval variable is a variable that has a

numerical value. It can be counted and
ranked, and the differences between the
ranked categories are meaningful. There is
no true zero point.

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Continuous Variables

For example, you know that the difference or

interval between 25°C and 35°C is the same
between 10°C and 20°C.

Just like in the example, if you say, -6°C, then

that means below freezing point.

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Continuous Variables
● A ratio variable is an interval value, but
unlike the interval variable, it has a true
zero. It has numerical value and meaning
which can also be counted, ranked, and
has a meaningful difference between
values. There is a true zero point, which
means that nothing exists for that variable
and that zero simply means none.
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Continuous Variables

For example, A person’s weight can be

counted, ranked, or you can determine the
equivalent distance between a person’s
weight with another.

If you say that there is 0 kg, then there is no

weight measured at all or there is no
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Remember

It is important that as researchers, we are

knowledgeable about our variables because
research mainly revolves around them.

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 List down as many variables as you can
with the given phenomena:
Practice ● Climate change
● Political system in the Philippines
● Low customer retention

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 Quick Check

These are the four variables that are based on

level of measurement.

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 Quick Check

What are the variables that are based on their

role?

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 Quick Check

You want to experiment on the use of fish oil

as an aid in enhancing memory performance
among students. Identify the independent and
dependent variables.

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 Wrap Up
Variables are anything that can be subjects
for observation done by the researcher.

Variables vary in terms of their role and level

of measurement in the research.

The level of measurement can be classified as

categorical or continuous variable measures.
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 Wrap Up

In terms of the role of variables, there are

independent, dependent, mediating,
moderating, and extraneous variables
typically encountered in research writing.

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Wrap Up

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 Bibliography

Mcleod, Sam. “What are Independent and Dependent Variables?.” Simply

Psychology. August 1, 2019.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/variables.html.

Mcleod, Sam. “Extraneous Variables.” Simply Psychology. July 30, 2019.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/extraneous-variable.html

Trochim, William. “Variables.” Research Methods Knowledge Base. January 22,

2020. https://socialresearchmethods.net/kb/understanding-variables/.

Tsang, Tawny. “Mediating and Moderating Variables Explained.” Psychology in

Action. February 16, 2015. https://www.psychologyinaction.org/psychology-
in-action-1/2015/02/06/mediating-and-moderating-variables-explained.

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