AUGUST 12, 2024 | J.A.

DAHUNAN
SECTIONS: GRADE 12 RAMOS, MARCOS, AQUINO, LAUREL, MACAPAGAL
TYPES OF VARIABLES IN RESEARCH & STATISTICS | EXAMPLES
In order to get an answer to an inquiry that they are investigating, researchers will
observe and measure the quality or quantity of the object of the study. It is
therefore imperative for the researcher to identify the variables significant in
explaining observed effects or behavior.
A variable is anything that has a quantity or quality that varies. For instance,
during the quarantine period, your mother planted tomato seedlings in pots. Now
common understanding from science tells you that several factors are affecting the
growth of tomatoes: sunlight, water, kind of soil, and nutrients in soil. How fast the
tomato seedlings will grow and bear fruits will depend on these factors. The growth
of tomatoes and the number of fruits produced are examples of the Dependent
Variables. The amount of sunlight, water, and nutrients in the soil are the
Independent Variables. If there is an existing relationship between the independent
and dependent variables, then the value of the dependent variable varies in
response to the manipulation done on the independent variable. The independent
variable is also identified as the presumed cause while the dependent variable is
the presumed effect. In an experimental quantitative design, the independent
variable is pre-defined and manipulated by the researcher while the dependent
variable is observed and measured. For descriptive, correlational and ex post facto
quantitative research designs, independent and dependent variables simply do not
apply.
In statistical research, a variable is defined as an attribute of an object of study.
Choosing which variables to measure is central to good experimental design.
Example
If you want to test whether some plant species are more salt-tolerant than others,
some key variables you might measure include the amount of salt you add to the
water, the species of plants being studied, and variables related to plant health
like growth and wilting.
You need to know which types of variables you are working with in order to choose
appropriate statistical tests and interpret the results of your study.
You can usually identify the type of variable by asking two questions:
1. What type of data does the variable contain?
2. What part of the experiment does the variable represent?
Types of data: Quantitative vs categorical variables
Data is a specific measurement of a variable – it is the value you record in your data
sheet. Data is generally divided into two categories:
  Quantitative data represents amounts
 Categorical data represents groupings
A variable that contains quantitative data is a quantitative variable; a variable
that contains categorical data is a categorical variable. Each of these types of
variables can be broken down into further types.
Quantitative variables
When you collect quantitative data, the numbers you record represent real amounts
that can be added, subtracted, divided, etc. There are two types of quantitative
variables: discrete and continuous.
DISCRETE VS CONTINUOUS VARIABLES

Type of variable What does the data represent? Examples

Discrete variables (aka Counts of individual items or  Number of

integer variables) values. students in
a class
 Number of
different
tree
species in a
forest

Continuous Measurements of continuous or  Distance

variables (aka ratio non-finite values.
 Volume
variables)
 Age

CATEGORICAL VARIABLES
Categorical variables represent groupings of some kind. They are sometimes
recorded as numbers, but the numbers represent categories rather than actual
amounts of things.
There are three types of categorical variables: binary, nominal,
and ordinal variables.
BINARY VS NOMINAL VS ORDINAL VARIABLES

Type of variable What does the data Examples

represent?

Binary variables (aka Yes or no outcomes.  Heads/tails in a

dichotomous variables) coin flip
 Win/lose in a
 football game

Nominal variables Groups with no rank or  Species names

order between them.
 Colors
 Brands

Ordinal variables Groups that are ranked  Finishing place

in a specific order. in a race
 Rating scale
responses in a
survey, such
as Likert scales*

Example data sheet

To keep track of your salt-tolerance experiment, you make a data sheet where you
record information about the variables in the experiment, like salt addition and plant
health.
To gather information about plant responses over time, you can fill out the same
data sheet every few days until the end of the experiment. This example sheet is
color-coded according to the type of variable: nominal, continuous, ordinal,
and binary.

Parts of the experiment: Independent vs dependent variables

Experiments are usually designed to find out what effect one variable has on
another – in our example, the effect of salt addition on plant growth.
You manipulate the independent variable (the one you think might be the cause)
and then measure the dependent variable (the one you think might be
the effect) to find out what this effect might be.
You will probably also have variables that you hold constant (control variables) in
order to focus on your experimental treatment.

Independent vs dependent vs control variables

Type of variable Definition Example (salt

tolerance
experiment)

Independent variables (aka Variables you manipulate in The amount of salt

treatment variables) order to affect the outcome of added to each
an experiment. plant’s water.

Dependent Variables that represent the Any measurement

variables (aka response outcome of the experiment. of plant health and
variables) growth: in this
case, plant height
and wilting.

Control variables Variables that are held The temperature

constant throughout the and light in the
experiment. room the plants
are kept in, and
the volume of
water given to
each plant.

Example data sheet

In this experiment, we have one independent and three dependent variables.
The other variables in the sheet can’t be classified as independent or dependent,
but they do contain data that you will need in order to interpret your dependent and
independent variables.
What about correlational research?
When you do correlational research, the terms “dependent” and “independent”
don’t apply, because you are not trying to establish a cause and effect relationship
(causation).
However, there might be cases where one variable clearly precedes the other (for
example, rainfall leads to mud, rather than the other way around). In these cases
you may call the preceding variable (i.e., the rainfall) the predictor variable and
the following variable (i.e. the mud) the outcome variable.
Other common types of variables
Once you have defined your independent and dependent variables and determined
whether they are categorical or quantitative, you will be able to choose the correct
statistical test.
But there are many other ways of describing variables that help with interpreting
your results. Some useful types of variables are listed below.
Type of Definition Example (salt
variable tolerance
experiment)

Confounding A variable that hides the true effect of another Pot size and
variables variable in your experiment. This can happen soil type might
when another variable is closely related to a affect plant
variable you are interested in, but you haven’t survival as
controlled it in your experiment. Be careful much or more
with these, because confounding variables run than salt
a high risk of introducing a variety of research additions. In an
biases to your work, particularly omitted experiment you
variable bias. would control
these potential
confounders by
holding them
 constant.

Latent A variable that can’t be directly measured, but Salt tolerance

variables that you represent via a proxy. in plants
cannot be
measured
directly, but
can be inferred
from
measurements
of plant health
in our salt-
addition
experiment.

Composite A variable that is made by combining multiple The three plant

variables variables in an experiment. These variables are health
created when you analyze data, not when you variables could
measure it. be combined
into a single
plant-health
score to make
it easier to
present your
findings.

QUIZ
Directions: Read through each scenario and identify the independent variable,
dependent variable, and the control. Beware- not all experiments will have a
control!
1. Sara wants to see if a new brand of hair dye lasts longer than the brand she
currently uses. She puts the new hair dye on the left side of her head and the old
brand on her right side. After 2 weeks she observes which side of her head has
more gray hair showing through.
a. Independent Variable = ________________________________________
b. Dependent Variable = _________________________________________
c. Control = ___________________________________________________
2. Rob is in charge of waxing the floor at the local mall. He wants to test a new
brand of floor wax called Squeaky Clean. Rob waxes 20 floor tiles with Squeaky
Clean and 20 tiles with the original wax brand. After one week he counts the
number of scratches on the floor.
a. Independent Variable = ________________________________________
b. Dependent Variable = _________________________________________
c. Control = ___________________________________________________
3. Chris wants to see if his basil plants grow better in full sunlight or partial sunlight.
He plants 5 basil plants on the east side of his house that only receives light in the
morning, and 5 more plants on the south side of his house that receives light all day.
After a month Chris measures the height of each plant.
a. Independent Variable = ________________________________________
b. Dependent Variable = _________________________________________
c. Control = ___________________________________________________
4. Shannon wants to see if the amount of time she studies will affect her grades.
She normally studies for 30 minutes a night, but decides to double her study time to
one hour per night. Over the next three weeks Shannon sees her science grade
raise 10%.
a. Independent Variable = ________________________________________
b. Dependent Variable = _________________________________________
c. Control = ___________________________________________________
5. Eric wants to see if a Shark vacuum works better than his current Oreck. He
makes sure both of the vacuum canisters are empty, and then vacuums half of the
living room with the Oreck and the other half with the Shark. After vacuuming he
measures the amount of dust in each canister.
a. Independent Variable = ________________________________________
b. Dependent Variable = _________________________________________
c. Control = ___________________________________________________

Reference:
Bevans, R. (2023, June 21). Types of Variables in Research & Statistics |
Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 11, 2024, from
https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/types-of-variables/