In a quantitative research, all experiments examine variables to get results.

In
this module, you will learn about different variables, how these variables affect the
study, and the vital role it plays in an actual research.

Specifically, this module aims that at the end, you should be able to:

 define variables;
 differentiate kinds of variables and their uses;
 distinguish independent variables from dependent variables; and
 explain relationships between variables.

Activity 1 Identification
Directions: Check all words in the list that could operate as variables in any research
study. Do this on separate sheet.
______ academic grades ______ time
______ ethnicity ______ dreams
______ ghost ______ grade level
______ reading comprehension ______ life plans
______ grammatical competence ______ water temperature
______ weight ______ height
______ aspirations ______ skills
______ economic status ______ guardian angel

Activity 2 Determining Research in Fields

Directions: Determine which field the following research topics belong in. Write QA if it
is in Anthropology; QC if it is in Communication; QAB if it is in ABM; QBS if it is in
Behavioral Science; QM if it is in Medical Education; QE if it is in education; QP if it is in
Psychology and; QS if it is in STEM. Write your answer on separate sheet.

_________1. Social cognition

_________2. Personality disorders
_________3. Integrated learning systems
_________4. Assessment of clinical skills
_________5. Cultural appropriation
_________6. Multi-scale modeling of materials
_________7. Corporate responsibility, ethics and accountability
_________8. Racism, bias, and discrimination
_________9. Freedom of expression in social media
_________10. Virtual learning in public schools
_________11. Privacy in social networking
_________12. Historical prospects for accounting practices
_________13. Molecular and Genome Evolution
_________14. Threshold concepts in medical statistics and evidence-based practice
_________15. Computer assisted instructions

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Subject: Practical Research 2
Activity 3 Unjumble the Word
Directions: Identify the word that is described in the following items below by
unjumbling the letters parallel to it. Write your answer on the boxes.

1. Not depending on others; DIPTNEDEENN

free from outside control

2. Of external origin; separate ESOUNXTRAE

from the object to which it
is attached

3. Anything that has quantity RIAVBLSEA

or quality that varies; liable
to change

4. Determined or conditioned DTNEEENPD

by another; relying on the
others for support

5. Causing confusions or FONCOUNDNGI

surprises especially by
acting against expectations

VARIABLES Defined
Suter (2013) said that variables have changing qualities and characteristics of a
person, age, gender, intelligence, ideas, achievements, confidence, and so on. Variable
(s) is (are) made up of the root word or base word “vary” which mean that this (these) is
(are) supposed to undergo changes since this (these) has (have) different varying
values in relation to time and situation. For instance, as time goes by, our age or
intelligence increases. Our age and intelligence are variables which could be affected
by another variable. When placed in a situation where there are no means of reading
and there is no access to any source of knowledge, our intelligence would decrease.

In a quantitative research, it is very important that you focus first in determining

the variables involved in your study. Research would not be possible if you will not take
into consideration the measurable factors which are subject to change due to varying
circumstances that may be encountered during the process of doing a research work.
Variables are anything that could vary due to circumstances.

BASIC TYPES OF VARIABLES

There are lots of variables in research that it would be impossible to account for
all of them considering the reason that one variable may not necessarily be a variable in
another studies. When you look online and search for types of variables, there are lots
that you would encounter aside from what will be mentioned here.

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Subject: Practical Research 2
 There are descriptive variables which are reported on but not relating it to
anything in particular. There are also categorical variables which results from selection
of categories. Some example of categorical variables are the nominal and ordinal
variables which resulted from a selected category. You might also encounter discrete
variables or the numeric variables which came from limited set of numbers.

Among these plenty variables that arise from countless research works and
studies, we have the most common and known to almost all type of variables. These
are the:

1. INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

Independent variables are the variables that cause changes to the subject. It is a
variable that can stand alone and will not be changed or affected by other types of
variables. In an experimental research, these are the variables that the researcher or
the experimenter controls and these are the treatments applied to the groups needed in
the study.

2. DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Dependent variables, on the other hand, are the variables that bear the effects
caused by the independent variables and the other types of variables. These also refer
to the kinds of variables that change when the independent variable acted upon it.
These variables are those that depend on other factors. How it will change in the study
is always because of the other variables.

 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES

INDEPENDENT affects DEPENDENT

VARIABLE VARIABLE
(IV) (DV)

researcher manipulates participant’s response depends

on the manipulation

In a quantitative research, these two variables are always observed. These are
like the part and parcel of research since it shows cause-effect relationship. The
independent variable is the cause and the dependent variable is what bears the effect of
the cause.

For example: The researchers want to know the approach in teaching that should be
used to further enhance the reading comprehension of the students. They will examine
on their research whether the blended learning approach is better than the traditional
approach.

Independent variable – Approach to be used in teaching

Dependent variable – reading comprehension

The independent variables here are the two approaches in teaching – blended
learning and traditional. These are what the researchers would control or manipulate in
the study.
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Subject: Practical Research 2
 The dependent variable, on the other hand, is the reading comprehension. After
these two approaches are tested within two separate groups, what will be the result of
the participants’ reading comprehension?

This research shows that the change which may happen to the dependent variable
depends on what the independent variable will do.

OTHER TYPES OF VARIABLES

The independent and the dependent variables are the basic types of variables that
should be determined on the start of the study. However, as you go on the process and
once your experimentation is over, you would realize that aside from these two
variables, there are other types of variables that contributed to the result of your study.

A. Extraneous Variables
Extraneous variables are all variables aside from the independent and the
dependent variable. These refer to the variables present in the study but are not being
studied. These are not the variables in focus; however, these variables should still be
controlled by the researcher. These variables are called extraneous since these are
“extra” variables which may or may not affect the internal validity of the study.

B. Confounding Variables
Confounding variables are extraneous variables that were not controlled in the study
and which caused unwanted change to the dependent variable. These can strongly
affect the study because dealing with these type of variables makes it difficult for the
researchers to identify whether it was the independent variable or the confounding
variable that effected change to the dependent variable.

 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES

Extraneous variables refer to the variables aside from independent and

dependent variables. In a research study, these arise even from the start that is why the
researcher must control it before the actual experimentation so that such variables
would not affect the result of the study. If researchers failed to control it and after the
experimentation, these variables affected the study, these extraneous variables become
confounding variables. The variables on focus (independent variable) would not be
the only cause of the change in the dependent variable.

For example:

INDEPENDENT EXTRANEOUS DEPENDENT

VARIABLE: VARIABLES: VARIABLE:
Teaching Method • Age of Learners • Achievement in
Science
• Gender of Learners
• Retention in
• Qualifications of
Science
Teachers

• In Service Training of
Teachers

CONFOUNDING VARIABLES
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Subject: Practical Research 2
 The variable in focus is Teaching Method. This variable should affect the dependent
variables which are the Achievement in Science and the Retention in Science. In a
research study, it is possible that one, two or more variables crop out to create an
impact on the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent
variable.

In this study, extraneous variables are the Age of Learners, Gender of Learners,
Qualifications of the Teachers and the In Service Training of Teachers. The question is:
Would these other variables affect the dependent variables? It may or it may not. The
moment these extraneous variables affect the dependent variables, extraneous
variables become confounding variables. Confounding variables are considered
nuisance in research studies since these make it hard for the researchers to decide
what truly impacted a change to the dependent variable.

There are other types of variables which you may encounter in different research
study. These are as follow:

1. Constant – these are variables that do not undergo changes or remain

unchanged during an experiment
2. Attribute – these are variables referring to the characteristics of people such as
intelligence, creativity, anxiety, learning styles, etc.
3. Covariate – these are variables included in the study to create interactions
between the independent and dependent variable
4. Continuous – these are numeric variables that have an infinite number of values
between any two values
5. Dichotomous – these are variables that take one of only two possible values
when observed or measured
6. Intervening – these are hypothetical variables used to explain causal links
between other variables.
7. Latent – these are variables that are not directly observed but are rather inferred
from other variables which are observed
8. Manifest – these are variables that can be directly measured or observed
9. Exogenous – these are variables whose value are determined outside an
identified model
10. Endogenous – these are variables whose value are found inside and as part of
an identified model

Activity 4 Identification
Directions: Identify the type of variable described in the following statements. Write
your answer on separate sheet.
____________1. These are variables whose value are found inside and as part of an
identified model.

____________2. These are variables included in the study to create interactions

between the independent and dependent variable.

____________. These are variables that do not undergo changes or remain unchanged
during an experiment.

____________4. These are variables that can be directly measured or observed.

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Subject: Practical Research 2
____________5. These are variables that are not directly observed but are rather
inferred from other variables which are observed.

____________6. These are variables referring to the characteristics of people such as

intelligence, creativity, anxiety, learning styles, etc.

____________7. These are numeric variables that have an infinite number of values
between any two values

____________8. These are variables whose value are determined outside an identified
model.

____________9. These are hypothetical variables used to explain causal links between
other variables.

____________10. These are variables that take one of only two possible values when
observed or measured.

Activity 5 Explain Concepts

Directions: Do the following based on your understanding of the lesson. Write your
answer on separate sheet.

1. State the relationship between independent variables and dependent variables.

______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.

2. Complete the sentence: Extraneous variables become confounding variables when

______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.

3. Based on the illustration below, explain the relationship of the four variables –
independent, dependent, extraneous and confounding, in a research study.

INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
VARIABLE VARIABLE
(IV) (DV)
VARIABLES

EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES
CONFOUNDING

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Subject: Practical Research 2
Activity 6 Concept Map
Directions: Think of possible variables which may cause an effect or change to the
dependent variable in the middle. Write your answer inside the small circles surrounding
the dependent variable. Do this on separate sheet.

Student’s
Motivation
in Learning
Math
concepts

Learning in
the New
Normal
Education

Part I. Identifying Variables

Directions: Determine the independent and dependent variables in the following
research titles/topics. Do this on separate sheet.

1. Utilization of Literature Circles and Its Impact on Student’s Learning among Grade 10
Students
DV: __________________________________________________________________
IV: ___________________________________________________________________
2. Influences of Social Environment to Delinquency Rate among Children
DV: __________________________________________________________________
IV: ___________________________________________________________________
3. Relationship Between the Study Time and Exam Scores Among University Students
DV: __________________________________________________________________
IV: ___________________________________________________________________
4. The Effects of Taking Multi-vitamin on a Student’s School Attendance
DV: __________________________________________________________________
IV: ___________________________________________________________________
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Subject: Practical Research 2
5. Online Class and Its Effects on the Learning of the Students in the New Normal
DV: __________________________________________________________________
IV: ___________________________________________________________________

Part II. Matching Type

Directions: Match the variables in Column B to their research topics in Column A. Write
the letter of your answer before each number. Do this on another sheet of paper.

COLUMN A COLUMN B

_____ 1. Differences in perceptions towards multi- A. Obesity

media discussions between male and
female senior high school students

_____ 2 Effects of vegetable meals to students B. Calorie Intake

_____ 3. Fast food product consumptions result to C. Vegetable meals

obesity among Filipino teenagers

_____ 4. Amount of calories Filipino consume per D. Weight Gain

day and its effect to the body

_____ 5. Anxiety as contributing factor to increase E. Leadership Style

of weight among teenagers

Activity 7 Search and Identify Variables

Directions: From the research topics/titles you searched online back on your Module 1,
choose five (5) then identify the dependent and independent variables.

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Subject: Practical Research 2