Chapter 1.

Types of variables
 Types of Variables
A. Qualitative or Attribute variable - the characteristic
being studied is nonnumeric.
EXAMPLES: Gender, religious affiliation, type of
automobile owned, state of birth, eye color are
examples.

B. Quantitative variable - information is reported

numerically.
EXAMPLES: balance in your checking account, minutes
remaining in class, or number of children in a family.
Summary of Types of Variables
 INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
Independent variables are variables that are
manipulated and whose effects are measured
and compared, e.g., price levels.

A variable that provides the basis for

estimation. It is the predictor variable
 DEPENDENT VARIABLE
Dependent variables are the variables which measure the
effect of the independent variables on the test units, e.g.,
sales, profits, and market shares.

• The variable that is being predicted or estimated.

 Moderating Variable
• In statistics and regression analysis,
moderation occurs when the relationship
between two variables depends on a third
variable. The third variable is referred to as
the moderator variable or simply the
moderator.
 Intervening Variable
• An intervening variable is a hypothetical
variable used to explain causal links between
other variables. Intervening variables cannot
be observed in an experiment (that's why they
are hypothetical).
Longevity=
Long Lived
 Extraneous variable

Extraneous variables are all variables

other than the independent variables that
affect the response of the test units, e.g.,
store size, store location, and competitive
effort.

Confounding cause surprise or

confusion
 Discrete Variable
A discrete variable is a variable that can only
take on a certain number of values. In other
words, they don’t have an infinite number of
values. If you can count a set of items, then
it’s a discrete variable.
 Continuous Variable
• A continuous variable is a variable that has an
infinite number of possible values. In other
words, any value is possible for the variable.