Variables development of programs or treatments to remedy a

particular problem.
The purpose of all research is to describe and
explain variance in the world. Variance is simply the Case example for Independent and
difference; that is, variation that occurs naturally in the
world or change that we create as a result of a Dependent variables
manipulation. Variables are names that are given to the
variance we wish to explain. Definition : A variable is either a result of some force or it
is the force that causes a change in another variable. In
A variable is either a result of some force or is itself the experiments, these are called dependent and
force that causes a change in another variable. In independent variables respectively.
experiments, these are
called dependent and independent variables In an experimental study looking at classical music
respectively. When a researcher gives an active drug to exposure and reading ability in children, the researcher
one group of people and a placebo , or inactive drug, to divided the children into two groups (Groups A and B). In
another group of people, the independent variable is the Group A, the children listened to Mozart for one hour
drug treatment. Each person's response to the active every day for one month. In Group B, parents were
drug or placebo is called the dependent variable. This instructed to refrain from playing classical music around
could be many things depending upon what the drug is the child for one month. At the end of the month, all
for, such as high blood pressure or muscle pain. children were given a reading comprehension test.
Therefore in experiments, a researcher manipulates an Those who listened to Mozart daily (Group A) scored
independent variable to determine if it causes a change significantly higher on the reading test. In this case, the
in the dependent variable. reading comprehension test score is the dependent
variable and exposure to Mozart’s music is the
Case example of independent and dependent variables independent variable.  This is because the test score
is dependent on whether or not the child listens to
Mozart’s music. The independent variable, exposure to
As we learned earlier in a descriptive study, variables
Mozart’s music, is independent  because it is something
are not manipulated.  They are observed as they
that can be manipulated or changed by the researcher.
naturally occur and then associations between variables
are studied.  In a way, all the variables in descriptive
studies are dependent variables because they are  In a study with a similar design as the previous example,
studied in relation to all the other variables that exist in researchers looked at the effects of nutrition on reading
the setting where the research is taking place. However, ability. In Group A, children ate at least three ounces of
in descriptive studies, variables are not discussed using dark green vegetables every day for one month. In
the terms "independent" or "dependent." Instead, the Group B, children were fed their regular diet.   At the end
names of the variables are used when discussing the of the month, the children took a reading comprehension
study.  For example, there is more diabetes in people of test. Those who ate the green vegetables every day for
Native American heritage than people who come from one month (Group A) did not vary in their test scores
Eastern Europe.  In a descriptive study, the researcher when compared to Group B.
would examine how diabetes (a variable) is related to a
person's genetic heritage (another variable). Discussion questions

Case example of descriptive study variables 1. In the second example what is the independent
variable? Why?
Variables are important to understand because they are
the basic units of the information studied and interpreted 2. In the second example, what is the dependent
in research studies. Researchers carefully analyze and variable? Why?
interpret the value(s) of each variable to make sense of
how things relate to each other in a descriptive study or 3. Identify which variables are independent and
what has happened in an experiment. dependent in the following examples:

The term association  means that two or more things are  Positive feedback and self confidence
related or connected to one another like height and  Headache and aspirin
weight, cholesterol level and heart failure or exercise and  Muscle mass and weight-training
weight loss. Associations can be positive or negative.  Calcium consumption and bone density
Positive associations suggest that when one variable is  Blood pressure and salt intake
increased, the value of another variable increases (e.g.,
as height increases, so does weight; as cholesterol level  
increases, so does the risk of heart failure). Negative
associations mean that when a variable is increased, the
value of another variable decreases (e.g., exercise is
introduced (or increased) and weight decreases).
Independent vs.
Associations can be found in experimental or descriptive
studies. Finding significant associations, either during Dependent Variables |
descriptive or experimental studies, may lead to the
Definition & These terms are especially used in statistics, where
you estimate the extent to which an independent

Examples variable change can explain or predict changes in

the dependent variable.
Published on February 3, 2022 by Pritha Bhandari.
Revised on May 4, 2022.
Types of independent
variables
In research, variables are any characteristics that
can take on different values, such as height, age, There are two main types of independent variables.
temperature, or test scores.
 Experimental independent variables can
Researchers often manipulate or measure be directly manipulated by researchers.
independent and dependent variables in studies to  Subject variables cannot be manipulated by
test cause-and-effect relationships. researchers, but they can be used to group
research subjects categorically.
 The independent variable is the cause. Its
value is independent of other variables in Experimental variables
your study. In experiments, you manipulate independent
 The dependent variable is the effect. Its variables directly to see how they affect your
value depends on changes in the dependent variable. The independent variable is
independent variable. usually applied at different levels to see how the
outcomes differ.
Example: Independent and dependent variablesYou
design a study to test whether changes in room You can apply just two levels in order to find
temperature have an effect on math test scores. out if an independent variable has an effect at all.
Your independent variable is the temperature of
the room. You vary the room temperature by You can also apply multiple levels to find
making it cooler for half the participants, and out how the independent variable affects the
warmer for the other half. dependent variable.

Your dependent variable is math test scores. You Example: Independent variable levelsYou are
measure the math skills of all participants using a studying the impact of a new medication on the
standardized test and check whether they differ blood pressure of patients with hypertension. Your
based on room temperature. independent variable is the treatment that you
directly vary between groups.
What is an independent You have three independent variable levels, and
each group gets a different level of treatment.
variable?
An independent variable is the variable you You randomly assign your patients to one of the
manipulate or vary in an experimental study to three groups:
explore its effects. It’s called “independent”
because it’s not influenced by any other variables in  A low-dose experimental group
the study.  A high-dose experimental group
 A placebo group
Independent variables are also called:

 Explanatory variables (they explain an event A true experiment requires you

or outcome) to randomly assign different levels of an
 Predictor variables (they can be used to independent variable to your participants.
predict the value of a dependent variable)
 Right-hand-side variables (they appear on Random assignment helps
the right-hand side of a regression equation). you control participant characteristics, so that
they don’t affect your experimental results. This
helps you to have confidence that your
dependent variable results come solely from  Response variables (they respond to a
the independent variable manipulation. change in another variable)
 Outcome variables (they represent the
Subject variables outcome you want to measure)
 Left-hand-side variables (they appear on
Subject variables are characteristics that vary the left-hand side of a regression
across participants, and they can’t be equation)
manipulated by researchers. For example,
gender identity, ethnicity, race, income, and
The dependent variable is what you record
education are all important subject variables
after you’ve manipulated the independent
that social researchers treat as independent
variable. You use this measurement data to
variables.
check whether and to what extent your
independent variable influences the dependent
It’s not possible to randomly assign these to variable by conducting statistical analyses.
participants, since these are characteristics of
already existing groups. Instead, you can
Based on your findings, you can estimate the
create a research design where you compare
degree to which your independent variable
the outcomes of groups of participants with
variation drives changes in your dependent
characteristics. This is a quasi-experimental
variable. You can also predict how much your
design because there’s no random
dependent variable will change as a result of
assignment.
variation in the independent variable.
Example: Quasi-experimental designYou study
whether gender identity affects neural responses to Identifying independent vs.
infant cries. dependent variables
Your independent variable is a subject variable,
namely the gender identity of the participants. You Distinguishing between independent and
have three groups: men, women and other. dependent variables can be tricky when
designing a complex study or reading an
Your dependent variable is the brain activity academic paper.
response to hearing infant cries. You record brain
activity with fMRI scans when participants hear A dependent variable from one study can be
infant cries without their awareness. the independent variable in another study, so
it’s important to pay attention to research
After collecting data, you check for statistically design.
significant differences between the groups. You
find some and conclude that gender identity Here are some tips for identifying each variable
influences brain responses to infant cries. type.
Prevent plagiarism, run a Recognizing independent variables
free check. Use this list of questions to check whether
Try for free you’re dealing with an independent variable:

What is a dependent  Is the variable manipulated, controlled,

or used as a subject grouping method
variable? by the researcher?
A dependent variable is the variable that  Does this variable come before the
changes as a result of the independent other variable in time?
variable manipulation. It’s the outcome you’re  Is the researcher trying to understand
interested in measuring, and it “depends” on whether or how this variable affects
your independent variable. another variable?

In statistics, dependent variables are also Recognizing dependent variables

called: Check whether you’re dealing with a
dependent variable:
  Is this variable measured as an outcome  Is this variable dependent on another
of the study? variable in the study?

 Does this variable get measured only after other variables are altered?

Independent and dependent variables in research

Independent and dependent variables are generally used in experimental and quasi-
experimental research.

Here are some examples of research questions and corresponding independent and dependent
variables.

Research question Independent variable Dependent variable(s)

Do tomatoes grow fastest under fluorescent,  Type of light the tomato plant  The rate of growth of the
incandescent, or natural light? is grown under tomato plant

What is the effect of intermittent fasting on  Presence or absence of  Blood sugar levels
blood sugar levels? intermittent fasting

Is medical marijuana effective for pain  Presence or absence of medical  Frequency of pain
reduction in people with chronic pain? marijuana use  Intensity of pain

To what extent does remote working increase  Type of work environment  Job satisfaction self-
job satisfaction? (remote or in office) reports

For experimental data, you analyze your results by generating descriptive statistics and visualizing
your findings. Then, you select an appropriate statistical test to test your hypothesis.

The type of test is determined by:

 your variable types

 level of measurement
 number of independent variable levels.

You’ll often use t tests or ANOVAs to analyze your data and answer your research questions.

Visualizing independent and dependent variables

In quantitative research, it’s good practice to use charts or graphs to visualize the results of
studies. Generally, the independent variable goes on the x-axis (horizontal) and the dependent
variable on the y-axis (vertical).

The type of visualization you use depends on the variable types in your research questions:

 A bar chart is ideal when you have a categorical independent variable.

 A scatter plot or line graph is best when your independent and dependent variables are
both quantitative.

Example: Results visualizationYou collect data on blood pressure before and after treatment for all
participants over a period of 2 months.
To inspect your data, you place your independent variable of treatment level on the x-axis and the dependent
variable of blood pressure on the y-axis.
You plot bars for each treatment group before and after the treatment to show the difference in blood
pressure.

Based on your results, you note that the placebo and low-dose groups show little difference in blood
pressure, while the high-dose group sees substantial improvements.