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Variables in Research

The document discusses different types of variables in research studies including dependent, independent, confounding, extraneous, control, and moderator variables. Dependent variables are measured outcomes, while independent variables are manipulated by researchers. Confounding variables influence dependent variables without being the variable studied. Extraneous variables weaken relationships between independent and dependent variables. Control variables are kept constant, and moderator variables change the strength of relationships between independent and dependent variables.

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152 views

Variables in Research

The document discusses different types of variables in research studies including dependent, independent, confounding, extraneous, control, and moderator variables. Dependent variables are measured outcomes, while independent variables are manipulated by researchers. Confounding variables influence dependent variables without being the variable studied. Extraneous variables weaken relationships between independent and dependent variables. Control variables are kept constant, and moderator variables change the strength of relationships between independent and dependent variables.

Uploaded by

haidermuneeb0004
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Variables in Research

The definition of a variable in the context of a research study is some feature with the potential
to change, typically one that may influence or reflect a relationship or outcome. For example,
potential variables might be time it takes for something to occur, whether or not an object is used
within a study, or the presence of a feature among members of the sample.
Within research, independent and dependent variables are key, forming the basis on which a
study is performed. However, other types of variables may come into play within a study, such
as confounding variables, controlled variables, extraneous, and moderator variables.

Dependent Variables in Research


A dependent variable is one being measured in an experiment, reflecting an outcome.
Researchers do not directly control this variable. Instead, they hope to learn something about the
relationship between different variables by observing how the dependent variable reacts under
different circumstances.
Although "dependent variable" is the most commonly used term, they may also be referred to
as response variables, outcome variable, or left-hand-side variable. These alternate names help
to further illustrate their purpose: a dependent variable shows a response to changes in other
variables, displaying the outcome.
The meaning of "left-hand-side" is less immediately transparent, but becomes more obvious
when considering the format of a basic algebraic equation. Typically, the dependent variable in
these is referred to as "Y" and placed on the left-hand-side of the equation. Because of this
standard, dependent variables may also be called the Y variable as well, and the dependent
variable is usually seen on the y-axis in graphs.
One example of a dependent variable would be a student's test scores. Several factors would
influence these scores, such as the amount of time spent studying, amount of sleep, or the stress
levels of the student. Ultimately, the dependent variable is not static or controlled directly, but is
subject to change depending on the independent variables involved.

Independent Variables in Research


An independent variable is one that the researcher controls or otherwise manipulates within a
study. In order to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables, a
researcher will purposefully change an independent variable, watching to see if and how the
dependent variable changes in response.
The independent variable can alternately be called the explanatory, predicator, right-hand-side,
or X variable. Similarly to dependent variables, these reflect the uses of independent variables, as
they are intended to explain or predict changes in the dependent variables. Likewise,
independent variables are often referred to as "X" in basic algebraic equations and plotted using
the x-axis. In research, the experimenters will generally control independent variables as much as
possible, so that they can understand their true relationship with the dependent variables.
For example, a research study might use age as an independent variable, since it influences some
potential dependent variables. Obviously, a researcher cannot randomly assign ages to
participants, but they could only allow participants of certain ages into a study or sort a sample
into desired age groups.

Comparing Dependent and Independent Variables


Research Topic Independent Variable Dependent Variable
Manipulated by the Measured by the
All Research Topics
researcher. researcher.
What is changing in
All Research Topics What is being changed.
response.
Plants grow faster in warmer
Temperature Plant Growth
temperatures.
To what extent does traffic affect a
Traffic Mood
person's mood?
People walk slower after drinking coffee. Drinking Coffee Walking Speed

Examples of Independent and Dependent Variables in


Research Studies
Many research studies have independent and dependent variables, since understanding cause-
and-effect between them is a key end goal. Some examples of research questions involving these
variables include:

 How does sleep the night before an exam affect scores in students? The independent
variable is the amount of time slept (in hours), and the dependent variable is the test
score.
 How does caffeine affect hunger? The amount of caffeine consumed would be the
independent variable, and hunger would be the dependent variable.
 Is quality of sleep affected by phone use before bedtime? The length of time spent on the
phone prior to sleeping would be the independent variable and the quality of sleep would
be the dependent variable.
 Does listening to classical music help young children develop their reading abilities? The
frequency and level of classical music exposure would be the independent variables, and
reading scores would be the dependent variable.
Coffee may affect hunger levels. To study this, coffee would be the independent
variable and hunger would be the dependent variable.

Other Types of Variables in Research


While the independent and dependent variables are the most commonly discussed variables in
research, other variables can influence outcomes. These include confounding?, extraneous,
control, and moderator variables.

Confounding Variables
A confounding variable, also known as a "third variable," changes the dependent variable
despite not being the independent variable being studied. This can cause issues within a study.
After all, since variation in a confounding variable causes a response in a dependent variable,
that response may be misattributed the independent variable. In order to ensure that the observed
outcome is only due to changes in independent variables, it is crucial to determine what
confounding variables might sway experimental results.
Identifying the confounding variable(s) and handling them helps to ensure that the relationship
being observed between independent and dependent variables is real, and that the results of a
study are valid. Validity refers to the closeness of results between repeated experiments. If
another researcher were to repeat the initial experiment, they may or may not obtain the same (or
similar) results.
A common example is the correlation between ice cream sales and crime rates. Since both go up
at the same time, it might be easy for a researcher to assume that a relationship exists between
the two: perhaps eating ice cream causes crime, or there's some other nefarious connection
between the two. However, the real cause is a confounding variable, temperature. Ice cream sales
go up when it is hot outside, and so does crime.
Ice cream sales and crime: the confounding variable.

Extraneous Variables
An extraneous variable is any variable present within the experiment that might make the
relationship between the independent and dependent variables weaker than initially predicted or
observed. There are several kinds of extraneous variables that may be found within a research
experiment. Some examples include:

 Demand characteristics: any environmental 'clue' that may push the participant to
behave or act in a certain way.
 Experimenter effect: any clue that may be given by the experimenter to persuade or
sway the results in one way or another.
 Situational variables: any variable that corresponds to the noise level, the heat, the color
of the room, or anything else that is present in the situation.

One example is that if you wanted to see whether the amount of time studying (independent
variable) impacts the test score (dependent variable), you would also need to account for the time
spent sleeping prior to the exam, the temperature of the exam room, and many other factors that
may influence the test score (extraneous variables).

Control Variables and Moderator Variables


A control variable is something the researcher manipulates in order to keep it constant between
conditions, allowing the results to be more homogeneous and/or valid by preventing it from
becoming confounding. For example, in an experiment about the effect of temperature on plant
growth, researchers would want to keep variables such as the amount of water and soil type the
same for every plant in the experiment. Otherwise, these variables would influence growth,
becoming confounding variables.
A moderator variable changes how much the independent variable influences on the dependent
variable, moderating the strength of the relationship between the two variables. When comparing
test scores based on amount of hours spent studying studying, a potential moderator variable
could be the health of the student taking the exam. Moderator variables could be anything
pertaining to a person's categorical variables (age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, health status)
or quantitative variables (age, weight, height).

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