Importance of Research

 Why research is important to the following field

of discipline?

 Doctor/Medicine
 Engineer/Technology
 Teacher/Education
 Entrepreneur/Business
TYPES OF
VARIABLES
 Variables

 A variable is a central concept in research. It is

measurable characteristic that changes in value.
It may vary from one group to another group.
One person to another person or even with
same person over time.

 A variable is anything that may assume varied

numerical or categorical values.
 Variables

 For instance, sex is a variable, it may be male or

female but it won’t be applicable as a variable if
the setting of the research is an exclusive school
for the girls.
 Examples:
 Age
 Economic status
 Educational attainment
 tc...
 Types of Variables

A. Continuous Variables

B. Discrete Variables
 A. Continuous Variables

• A variable that can take infinite number of

value that can occur within a population.
• Its values can be subdivided into fractions
• Examples:
• Age
• Height
• Temperature
 B. Discrete Variables
• Discrete variable is also known as
categorical or classificatory variable.
• A variable that has limited number of
distinct values and which cannot be
subdivided in fractions.
• Examples:
• Sex
• Blood Type
• Number of children
 Continuous Variable can be
further categorized as:
1. Interval Variable – is a measurement
where the difference between two
values does have meaning.

 Example: Temperature
 Continuous Variable can be
further categorized as:
2. Ratio Variable – possess the
properties of interval variable and has a
clear definition of zero, indication that
there is none of that variable

Examples. Height, weight, distance

 Discrete Variable can be
further categorized as:
1. Nominal Variable – a variable with no
quantitative value. It has two or more
categories but does not imply ordering of
cases.

Examples: sex, religion, Eye color, etc.

 Discrete Variable can be
further categorized as:
2. Ordinal Variable – a variable that has
two or more categories which can be
rank.

Examples: Educational Level,

economic status, etc.
 Types of Variables

A. Dependent Variables

B. Independent Variables
 A. Independent Variable

• The cause variable or the one

responsible for the conditions
that act on something else to
bring about changes.
 B. Dependent Variable

• Also called the outcome

variable is the result or effect
of the changes brought about
by another variable (usually
independent variable)
 Example
• In a certain study, a group of students was
subjected to aroma therapy using essential
oils while reading and another group read
under normal conditions, then after a
month both groups took a reading
comprehension test.

1. In this case, what is the dependent variable?

independent variable?
 Answer:
• The dependent variable is the Test Scores
of the reading comprehension test.

• The independent variable is exposure to

aroma therapy.