Chapter 5 (Part Two)

Classification of variables
Definition of variable
A variable is defined as a measurable characteristic that assumes different values among
subjects.
Obtaining these different values for each subject on a particular variable was referred to as
operational definition of the variable. Measurement of variables or the operation definition of
variables is a very critical step in the research process. In both the social science and physical
science, researchers have, over time, developed standard measures for some variables. For
example, variables like time, age, sex, volume, length, blood pressure, heart beat, IQ,
temperature, etc. have standard measure.
Social science is the scientific study of the human society and social relationships.
Physical sciencethe sciences concerned with the study of inanimate natural objects, including
physics, chemistry, astronomy, and related subjects.

However, there are very many variables in any field where standard measures have not been
developed. For example, there are no agreed upon methods of measuring sadness, happiness,
religiosity, satisfaction derived from owning a house or a car, etc.
Religiosity is difficult to define, but different scholars have seen this concept as broadly about
religious orientations and involvement. It includes experiential, ritualistic, ideological,
intellectual, consequential, creedal, communal, doctrinal, moral, and cultural
dimensions. Sociologists of religion have observed that the people's beliefs, sense of belonging,
and behavior often are not congruent with an individual's actual religious beliefs since there is
much diversity in how one can be religious or not.
There are eight common types or classifications of variables. These are independent,
dependent, control, extraneous, (aan la xirririnarrintamarkaasjirta)intervening, antecedent,
suppressor and distorter variables.

I. Independent variable
An independent variable is a variable that a researcher manipulates (kuxakamayn; controlled)
in order to determine its effect or influence on another variable.
Independent variables are also called predictor variables because they predict the amount of
variation that occurs in another variable.
Examples:
- The influence of income on housing conditions
- The influence of gender on career choice.

The variables of income and gender are all independent variables. In example one, a high
income level means one can afford a much better house than at lower income levels. In
example two, males may tend to choose certain types of careers while females choose other
types of careers. Independent variables can be divided into: those in which the researcher has
manipulative control and those which have already occurred and hence a researcher has no
manipulative control. The former are referred to as experimental type of independent
variables and the latter are referred to as measurement type of independent variables.
 Experimental types of independent variables are common in biological and physical
sciences. Example, the influence of various amounts of fertilizer on the yield of wheat.
The independent variable is the “amounts of the fertilizer”. The researcher has control
over this variable and he or she decides different amounts of the fertilizer to apply to
each experimental wheat field.
 Measurement types of independent variables have already occurred; they have fixed
manipulative and uninfluenceable properties. Most of these variables are either
environmental or personage—person or person of distinction. Person ology may refer
to: A theory of personality psychology advanced by Henry Murray and others.
Physiognomy, the assessment of a person's character or personality from outer
appearance, especially the face. Such variables include: age, gender, marital status,
race, color, geographical location, soil type, nationally, etc. for example, one may want
to determine the influence of nationality on choice of foods. The independent variable
“nationality” has already happened. We are just measuring and grouping the subjects
on the variable “nationality” rather than experimentally manipulating it.
II. Dependent variables
A dependent variable, sometimes called criterion variable, attempts to indicate the total
influence arising from the effects of the independent variable.
A dependent variable, therefore, varies as a function of the independent variable. Consider the
following examples:
a. The influence of hours studied on performance in a statistics test.
b. The influence of distance from the supply centre on cost of building materials.
c. The effect of altitude on daily mean temperature.
The variables statistics test performance, cost of building materials and daily mean
temperatures are all dependent variables. In example one, the researcher may find that the
dependent variable, “performance in a statistics test,” varies as a function of the independent
variable. That is, the more hours one spends studying for a test, the higher the test score is
likely to be.
In example two, costs of building materials are likely to be higher, the further the construction
site is from the supply centre of the materials; and in example three, as altitude increases, daily
temperatures decreases, holding other factors constant.

III. Control variables

A variable that is held constant in order to assess or clarify the relationship between two
other variables.Control variable should not be confused withcontrolled variable, which is an
alternative term forindependent variable.
A controlled variable is one which the researcher holds constant (controls) during an
experiment. ... The control variable is not part of an experiment (not the independent or
dependent variable), but it is important because it can have an effect on the results. It is not
the same thing as a control group.
If a researcher suspects that a certain variable is likely to influence the research results, he or
she should control for that variable in the study.
Variables which influence the results of a study when they are not controlled for are referred to
as extraneous variables---( not related to the object to which it is attached; not belonging to
what is being dealt with; coming outside).
When a possible extraneous variable is built into the study. It is referred to as a control
variable. Some researchers refer to control variables as concomitant, covariate or blocking
variables.
What is covariate variable?

A covariate can be an independent variable (i.e. of direct interest) or it can be an unwanted,

confounding variable. Adding a covariate to a model can increase the accuracy of your results

What is a blocking variable?

A categorization variable for information within a dataset that is used to control, test, or

manipulate the distribution and statistical results. These variables should be observed, reliable,
and unchanging. For example, a dataset can be blocked based on name, date, race or gender.

What is concomitant variable? (Wax sicaadi ah isuraacoama la iskusooqabto)

A concomitant variable, or covariate, is a variable which we observe during the course of our
research or statistical analysis, but we cannot control it and it is not the focus of our analysis.
Although concomitant variables are not given any central recognition, they may
be confounding or interacting with the variables being studied. Ignoring them can lead
to skewed (gurracan; leexsan; janjeera) or biased data, and so they must often be corrected for
in a final analysis.
However, absolute control of extraneous influence is not impossible in any study. It is for this
reason that research results are interpreted on the basis of degrees of confidence rather than
certainty.
The first thing in dealing with a possible extraneous variable is assess the relevance to your
study of such a variable.
The second method of controlling extraneous variables is to include them in the study but only
at one level. In our example above, reaction time (dependent) is influenced by alcohol levels
(independent) and also by sex (extraneous). We can control for sex differences by sampling
only female or females. Our subjects with therefore be homogenous on gender.
Finally, we can control the effects of an extraneous variable by statistically (syphoning) (draw –
liquid—out or off through it) its effect on the dependent variable. The two main statistical
procedures that are used to achieve this are analysis of covariance and partial correlation.

IV. Extraneous variables

Extraneous variables are any variables that you are not intentionally studying in your
experiment or test. When you run an experiment, you're looking to see if one variable (the
independent variable) has an effect on another variable (the dependent variable). ... These
undesirable variables are called extraneous variables. (Aan la xirriirinarrintamarkaasjirta;
kabaxsan; wax dheeraad ah amadibaddaka ah)
There are two types of variables that can lower internal validity: extraneous variables, which
are any factors that are in the experiment but not being studied, and confounding variables,
which are related to the independent variable and affect the dependent variable.
Extraneous variables are those that affect the outcome of a research study either because the
researcher is not aware of their existence or if the researcher is aware, she or he does not
control for them.
Extraneous variables are sometimes referred to as confounding variables because they
confound (iskukhaldid; isku-kahid) the effect of the independent variables on the dependent
variable. Two major classifications of extraneous are recognized by researchers as:

Symmetrical Extraneous Variables Asymmetrical Extraneous Variables

 These are variables which have a  In asymmetrical relationships, the
spurious (beena-abuur ah; aanahayn effect on the dependent variable is
run amaasal) relationship with both due to both the independent variable
the independent and dependent and an extraneous variable, which has
variable. This relationship is not been accounted for. (kahadlid).
accidental and not meaningful at all. This means that a true relationship
 exists between the independent and
the dependent variables, and the
extraneous variable only magnifies
such true effects.

A well-designed experiment includes design features that allow researchers to

eliminate extraneous variables as an explanation for the observed relationship between the
independent variable(s) and the dependent variable. These extraneous variables are called
lurking variables.

V. Intervening variables
An intervening variable comes between the independent and dependent variables. When
intervening variables are used as control variables one must establish a dominant direction of
influence. The independent variable influences the intervening variable and the intervening
variable influences the dependent variable.
Consider the following example borrowed from Zeisel. In a study on factory absenteeism
among female workers, married women were found to have a higher rate of absenteeism
compared to single women. One could therefore conclude that marital status is determinant of
absenteeism.
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).

VI. Antecedent variables

(Wax dhacaamajiri-jiray wax kale kahor) (Camels and horses were antecedents of cars)
An antecedent variable does not interfere with the established relationship between an
independent and dependent variable. Rather, an antecedent variable clarifies the influence that
precedes such as relationship. There are three conditions that must hold for a variable to be
classified as antecedent variable as:
1. The variables including the antecedent variable must be related in some logical
sequence.
2. When the antecedent variable is controlled for, the relationship between the
independent and dependent variables should not disappear; rather, it should be
enhanced.
3. When the independent variable is controlled for or its influence removed, there should
not be any relationship between the antecedent variable and the dependent variable.
In statistics and social sciences, an antecedent variable is a variable that can help to explain the
apparent relationship (or part of the relationship) between other variables that are nominally
in a cause and effect relationship.

VII. Suppressor variables

(Maquunin; ku-jabinxoog; cabburin; celin)
It was noted that a false relationship may exist between two variables due to the intrusion of
another uncontrolled variable. That is one can find a positive relationship between an
independent and a dependent variable simply because they are both spuriously related to a
third variable. When the third extraneous variable is controlled for, the original relationships
between the independent and dependent variable disappears.
In a sense, a suppressor variable is an extraneous variable, which, when not controlled for,
removes a relationship between the two variables. When suppressor variable is not controlled
for in a study, it interceded (dhex-galid; heshiisiin; kalacelin) to cancel out, minimize or conceal
a true relationship between the independent and the dependent variables.

VIII. Distorter variables

A distorter variables is a variable that converts what was thought of as a positive relationship
into a negative relationship and vice versa. This effect leads a researcher into drawing
erroneous conclusion from the data. When a distorter variable is controlled for, a true
relationship is obtained. Consideration of distorter variables in a study reduces the chances of
making a “type one” or “type two error.”

IX. Exogenous and endogenous variables

Independent variable that affects a model without being affected by it, and whose qualitative
characteristics and method of generation are not specified by the model builder. An exogenous
variable is used for setting arbitrary external conditions, and not in achieving a more realistic
model behavior.

What are exogenous and endogenous variables?

An exogenous variable is by definition one whose value is wholly causally independent from
other variables in the system.
Exogenous Variables. An exogenous variable is a variable that is not affected by other variables
in the system. For example, take a simple causal system like farming. ... In contrast,
an endogenous variable is one that is influenced by other factors in the system.

Exogenous Variables. An exogenous variable is a variable that is not affected by

other variables in the system. For example, take a simple causal system like farming. ... In
contrast, an endogenous variable is one that is influenced by other factors in the system
What is endogenous variable in research?
An endogenous variable is a classification of a variable generated by a statistical model that is
explained by the relationships between functions within the model. ...Endogenous variable is
the opposite of an exogenous variable.