THE VARIABLES

IN RESEARCH
LESSON 3: The Nature of
Va r i a b l e s
 Demonstrates
CONTENT understanding of the
STANDARD nature of variables.
Differentiates kinds of variables
and their uses (CS_RS12-Ia- LEARNING
c-3). COMPETENCY
VARIABLE
 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

1.Variables play a significant role in

quantitative research.
 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. Researchers and statisticians use variables to describe
and measure the items, places, people or ideas they're
studying.

2. A strong understanding of variables can lead to more

accurate statistical analyses and results.
 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
1.Variables play a significant role in
quantitative research.

- helps researchers clarify research

objectives and questions.
 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Doing such eliminates complexities and elaborate
work.

• Knowing the different kinds of research variables

also aids in smooth data collection and analysis.
VARIABLE
 VARIABLE
 is any kind of attribute or characteristic that you are
trying to measure, manipulate and control. (In Statistics
and Research)
 VARIABLE
can describe a person, place, thing or idea.
can change between groups or over time.
 VARIABLE
• “characteristics that has two or more mutually
exclusive values or properties” (Sevilla and
Other, 1988).

• Sex, for instance, has two properties which are

maleness and femaleness.
 VARIABLE
• The root word of the word variable
is “vary” or simply “can change”.
During the quarantine period, your mother planted
tomato seedlings in pots. Now common understanding
from science tells you that several factors are affecting
the growth of tomatoes: sunlight, water, kind of soil,
and nutrients in soil. How fast the tomato seedlings
will grow, and bear fruits will depend on these factors.

REVIEW
 DEPENDENT VARIABLE

The growth of
tomatoes and the
number of fruits
Produced.
 DEPENDENT VARIABLE
The variable that depends on other factors that
are measured. These variables are expected to
change as a result of an experimental
manipulation of the independent variable or
variables. It is the presumed effect.
 INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

The variable that is stable and unaffected by the

other variables you are trying to measure. It
refers to the condition of an experiment that is
systematically manipulated by the investigator.
It is the presumed cause.
 CONTROL VARIABLES

A special types of independent variable that are measured in the study because
they potentially influence the dependent variable.

Researchers use statistical procedures (analysis of covariance) to control these

variables. They may be demographic or personal variables that need to be
“controlled” so that true influence of the independent variable on the dependent
variable can be dependent.
 EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES
 other factors that may influence the
outcome (dependent variable) which
are not manipulated or pre-defined by
the researcher.
 Example:
• the presence of pests and
environmental stressors (e.g.
pets, extreme weather).

EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
Extraneous variables may affect the result of the
experiment, it is crucial for you to identify them prior
to conducting the experiment and control them in
such a way that they do not threaten the internal
validity (i.e. accurate conclusion) of the result.
CONFOUNDING
VARIABLE

if the tomato had been infested by pests (confounding

variable) then you cannot conclude that
manipulations in sunlight, water and soil nutrients
(independent variable) are the only contributing
factors for the stunted growth and poor yield
(dependent variable) of the plant or is it the result of
both the independent variables and the confounding
variable.
Classification of Variables according to their nature
Quantitative Variables, also called
numerical variables are the type of
variables used in quantitative
research because they are numeric
and can be measured. Under this
category are discrete and
continuous variables.
 are countable whole numbers.
It does not take negative
values or values between fixed
Discrete points. For example: number
Variables of students in a class, group
size and frequency.
take fractional (non-whole number) values
that can either be a positive or a negative.
Example: height, temperature.

Continuous
Variables
Numerical data have two levels of measurement,

INTERVAL RATIO
 Continous
INTERVAL Variables
are quantitative variables where the interval or differences between
consecutive values are equal and meaningful but the numbers are
arbitrary.

the difference between 36 degrees and 37 degrees is the same as

between 100 degrees and 101 degrees. Other examples of interval
data would be year and IQ score.
 Continous
RATIO Variables
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.
also referred to as Categorical
Variables.

Not expressed in
numbers but are descriptions or
categories. It can be further divided
into nominal, ordinal
or dichotomous.
 Qualitative
DICHOTOMOUS Variables
consisting of only two distinct categories or values. For
example, a response to a question either be a yes or no.
 Qualitative
NOMINAL VARIABLE Variables
simply defines groups of subjects.

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. (Blood Type, Hair Color, and Mode of Transportation)
 ORDINAL VARIABLE Qualitative
Variables
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, 5 ranked accordingly (5=highest, 1=lowest) or
categorical rating like strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and
strongly disagree.
 Types
of
VARIABLE
 Researchers organize variables into a variety of
categories, the most common of which include:

1. Independent variables 6. Moderating variables

2. Dépendent variables 7. Extraneous variables
3. Quantitative variables 8. Confounding variables
4. Qualitative variables
5. Intervening variables
 Independent Dependent
variables variables
A variable that stands A variable that relies on
alone and isn't changed by and can be changed by
Definition the other variables or other factors that are
factored that are measured
measured

Age: Other variables such A grade someone gets on

as where someone lives, an exam depends on
Example what they eat or how factors such as how much
much they exercise are not sleep they got and how
going to change their age. long they studied.
 Quantitatitve Qualitative
variables variables
Any data sets that
Non-numerical values
Definition involve numbers or
or groupings
amounts.
Height, distance or Eye color or dog
Example
number of items breed
Binary, nominal and
Discrete and
Types ordinal
continuous
 Quantitative Variables
Discrete: Any numerical variables you can
realistically count, such as the coins in your wallet or
the money in your savings account.

Continuous: Numerical variables that you could never

finish counting, such as time.
 Intervening variables Moderating variables

Changes the relationship

A theoretical variable used to between dependent and
Definition explain a cause or connection independent variables by
between other study variables strengthening or weakening the
intervening variable's effect

Age: If a study looking at the

Access to health care: If wealth is
relationship between economic
the independent variable, and a
status (independent variable) and
long life span is a dependent

Example
how frequently people get physical
variable, a researcher might
exams from a doctor (dependent
hypothesize that access to quality
variable), age is a moderating
health care is the intervening
variable. That relationship might be
variable that links wealth and life
weaker in younger individuals and
span.
stronger in older individuals.
 Extraneous Variable Confounding Variable

Factors that affect the dependent Extra variables that the researcher
Definition variable but that the researcher did
not originally consider when
did not account for that can
disguise another variable's effects
designing the experiment and show false correlations

In a study of whether a particular

Parental support, prior knowledge genre of movie affects how much
of a foreign language or candy kids eat, with experiments
socioeconomic status are are held at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.
Example extraneous variables that could Time could be a confounding
influence a study assessing whether variable, as the group in the noon
private tutoring or online courses study might be hungrier and
are more effective at improving therefore eat more candy because
students' Spanish test scores. lunchtime is typically at noon.
1. Three wax palm trees
are kept at different
IV:
humidity levels inside of
a greenhouse for 12 DV:
weeks. One tree is left
CG:
outside in normal
conditions. Height of the CV:
tree is measured once a
week.
Strawberry plant clones are given
different amounts of water for a 3-
week period. First strawberry plant IV:
receives 400 milliliters (ml) a day. The
second strawberry plant receives
200ml a day. The third strawberry
DV:
plant receives 100ml a day. The
fourth strawberry plant does not CG:
receive any extra water; this plant
only receives natural ways of CV:
receiving water. The height of the
strawberry plants is recorded daily
In Science experiments, it is very important to “control the
variables” so that there is only ONE independent variable and
ONE dependent variable. We “control the variables” by
making anything else that could change during the experiment
into a constant. For example, if you are doing an experiment to
find out what material can hold more water, then it is important
to make sure all the materials you are testing are the same size.
Why is it so important to control the variables? What would
happen if we did not control them?