Practical Research II

QUARTER 1
WEEK 3

APRIL ANNE P. ALBUNA

TEACHER

NAME OF STUDENT:

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 COMPETENCY:
 Differentiates kinds of variables and their uses

THE VARIABLES IN RESEARCH

The term „variable‟ has been mentioned several times so that it is necessary to define it here.
In research, a variable refers to “characteristics that have two or more mutually exclusive
values or properties” (Sevilla and Other, 1988). Sex, for instance, has two properties which are
maleness and femaleness. The ages of different persons have different values; so with their size,
height, weight, and income. The phenomenon of variety is what makes life interesting; it is one of
the motivating factors of the research undertaking.
The root word of the word variable is “vary” or simply “can change”. These variables are
among the fundamental concepts of research, alongside measurement, validity, reliability, cause and
effect; and theory. Bernard (1994) defines a variable as something that can take more than one
value, and values can be words or numbers.
A variable specifically refers to characteristics, or attributes of an individual or an organization
that can be measured or observed, and that varies among the people or organizations being
studied (Creswell, 2002).

TYPES OF VARIABLES (ALLEN, TITSWORTH, HUNT, 2009)

1. CONTINUOUS VARIABLES – A variable that can take an infinite number on the value
that can occur within the population. Its values can be divided into fractions. Examples
of this type of variable include age, height, and temperature. Continuous variables can be
further categorized as:
a. INTERVAL VARIABLES – It has values that lie along with an evenly dispersed range of
numbers. It is a measurement where the difference between the two values does have
meaning. Examples of interval data include temperature, a person‟s net worth (how
much money you have when you subtract your debt from your assets), etc. In
temperature, this may illustrate as the differences between a temperature of 60
degrees and 50 degrees is the same as difference between 30 degrees and 20 degrees.
The interval between values makes sense and can be interpreted.
b. RATIO VARIABLES – It has values that lie along with an evenly dispersed range of
numbers when there is absolute zero. It possesses the properties of the interval variable
and has a clear definition of zero, indicating that there is none of that variable. Examples
of which are height, weight, and distance. Most scores stemming from responses to
survey items are ratio-level values because they typically cannot go below zero.
Temperature measured in degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit is not a ratio
variable because 0 under these temperatures scales mean no temperature at all.
2. DISCRETE VARIABLES – This is also known as a categorical or classificatory variable. This
is any variable that has a limited number of distinct values and which cannot be divided into
fractions like sex, blood group, and a number of children in a family. The discrete variable
may also be categorized into:
a. NOMINAL VARIABLE – It represents categories that cannot be ordered in any
particular way. It is a variable with no quantitative value. It has two or more categories
but does not imply an ordering of cases. Common examples of this variable include eye
color, business type, religion, biological sex, political affiliation, basketball fan affiliation, etc.
A sub-type of nominal scale with only two categories just like sex is known as
dichotomous.
b. ORDINAL VARIABLE – It represents categories that can be arranged from greatest
to smallest. This variable has two or more categories that can be ranked. Examples of
ordinal variables include education level, income brackets, etc. An illustration of this is, if
you asked people if they liked listening to music while studying and they could answer
either “NOT VERY MUCH”, “MUCH”, “VERY MUCH” then you have an ordinal
variable. While you can rank them, we cannot place value on them. In this type,
distances between attributes do not have any meaning. For example, you used
educational attainment as a variable on the survey, you might code elementary school
graduates = 1, high graduates = 2, college undergraduate = 3, and college graduate =
4. In this measure, a higher number means greater education. Even though we can
rank these from lowest to highest, the spacing between the values may not be the same
across the levels of the variables. The distance between 3 and 4 is not the same as the
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 distance between 1 and 2.

KINDS OF VARIABLES
Several experts have lumped together with the following as the major kinds of variables:

1. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES – Those that probably cause, influence, or affect

outcomes. They are invariably called treatment, manipulated, antecedent, or predictor
variables. This is the cause variable or the one responsible for the conditions that act on
something else to bring about changes.
EXAMPLE: A study is on the relationship between study habits and academic
performance of UTNHS senior high school students. STUDY HABITS is the independent
variable because it influenced the outcome or the performance of the students.

2. DEPENDENT VARIABLES – those that depend on the independent variables; they are
the outcomes or results of the influence of the independent variable. That is why it is also
called the outcome variable.
EXAMPLE: A study is on the relationship between study habits and academic
performance of UTNHS senior high school students. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE is the
dependent variable because it depends on the study habits of the students; if the
students change their study habit the academic performance also changes.

3. INTERVENING OR MEDLING VARIABLES – Variables that “stand between” the

independent and dependent variables, and they show the effects of the independent
variable on the dependent variable.
EXAMPLE: Consider the given below. Even if farm production is good, if the attitude
towards payment is negative, loan repayment would be low, whereas, if the attitude towards
repayment is positive or favorable, loan repayment would be high.

DV IV DV

4. CONTROL VARIABLES – special types of independent variables that are measured in

the study because they potentially influence the dependent variable. Researchers use
statistical procedures (e.g. analysis of covariance) to control these variables. They may be
demographic or personal variables that need to be “controlled” so that the real influence
of the independent variable on the dependent variable can be determined.

5. CONFOUNDING VARIABLES – Variables that are not measured or observed in a

study. They exist but their influence cannot be directly detected in a study. Researchers
comment on the influence of confounding variables after the study has been completed,
because these variables may have operated to explain the relationship between the
independent variables and dependent variable, but they were not or could not be
assessed directly.

Exercise I. Identify what is being asked in each number. Write your answer after the
statement. Choose your answer from the box below.

 VARIABLE  DEPENDENT  INDEPENDENT

 CONTROL  CONTINUOUS  INTERVENING
 CONFOUNDING  INTERVAL  NOMINAL
 ORDINAL  RATIO  ABSTRACT

1. It refers to the characteristics that have two or more mutually exclusive values or properties.

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 2. Variables that represent categories that cannot be ordered in any particular way.

3. Special kind of independent variables that are measured in a study because they
potentially influence the dependent variable.
4. Variables that have values that lie along with an evenly dispersed range of numbers when
there is an absolute zero, as opposed to net worth, which can have a negative debt-to-
income ratio-level variable.
5. Kind of variables that are not measured or observed in a study. They exist but their
influence cannot be directly detected in a study.
6. It “stands between” the independent and dependent variables, and they show the effects
of the independent variable on the dependent variable.
7. Variables that represent categories that can be ordered from greatest to smallest.

8. It is a kind of variable that probably causes, influences, or affects outcomes. They are
variably called treatment, manipulated, antecedent, or predictor variables.
9. Variables that depend on independent variables; they are the outcomes or results of the
influence of the independent variable.
10. It is the variables that have values that lie along with an evenly dispersed range of numbers.

Exercise II. Determine whattype of variables are the following. Write I if the variable is
Interval, N if Nominal, R if Ratio and O if Ordinal.

1. Military Title

2. Temperature in degree Celsius

3. Birthplace

4. Year Level

5. Favorite Type of Music

6. Clothing such as hat, shirt, shoes

7. A score in 5- item quiz in Math

8. Feeling for today

9. Means of Transportation

10. How internet is used at home

11. Freshman, Sophomore

12. Person‟s net worth

13. Male or female

14. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
15. Political Affiliation

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 Evaluation:

3. TEST I: Identify which variables are dependent and independent in the following:

Example:

a. Physical activity and weight loss

Dependent Variable: weight loss
Independent Variable: physical activity

1. Positive feedback and self confidence

Dependent Variable: ______________________________
Independent Variable: ____________________________

2. Headache and aspirin

Dependent Variable: _____________________________
Independent Variable: ___________________________

3. Muscle mass and weight-training

Dependent Variable: ____________________________
Independent Variable: ____________________________

4. Calcium consumption and bone density

Dependent Variable: _____________________________
Independent Variable: ____________________________

5. Blood pressure and salt intake

Dependent Variable: ______________________________
Independent Variable: __________________________

TEST II: Using the quantitative research titles that you have submitted in the previous activity,
identify the variables and the constant in each title of the study. Determine the independent
and dependent variable; then determine whether it is a discrete or continuous variable.
EXAMPLE: A study on the relationship between study habits and academic performance of BSU
college students.

CONSTANT VARIABLES

INDEPENDENT DISCRETE/ DISCRETE/

CONTINOUS DEPENDENT CONTINOUS
BSU COLLEGE ACADEMIC
STUDY HABITS DISCRETE DISCRETE
STUDENTS PERFORMAN
CE

CONSTANT VARIABLES

INDEPENDENT DISCRETE/ DEPENDENT DISCRETE/

CONTINOUS CONTINOUS

1.

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2.

3.

Reference:
MARIANO, JM, V. https://kupdf.net/download/practical-research-2-
module_5b3b889fe2b6f56e60fe704f_p

https://ori.hhs.gov/module-3-elements-research-section-1

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