Types of Variables

Presented by:
Glenn Acuesta
Zhohart Alid
Allen Custodio
Luke De Juan
Jalanur Marohom
Vonne Salido
Cedric Siosana
“In science,
you do not
fail, you
discovered
ten thousand
things that
didn't work”
-Some scientist, probably
DE-Codex
Use the A1Z26 Cipher to decode the following words.
4-5-16-5-14-4-5-14-20
9-14-4-5-16-5-14-4-5-14-20
9-14-20-5-18-22-5-14-9-14-7
3-15-14-20-18-15-12
3-15-14-6-15-21-14-4-9-14-7
5-24-20-18-1-14-5-15-21-19
Dependent Variables

Shows the effect of manipulating or

introducing the independent variables. For
example, if the independent variable is the
use or non-use of a new language teaching
procedure, then the dependent variable might
be students' scores on a test of the content
taught using that procedure. In other words,
the variation in the dependent variable
depends on the variation in the independent
variable.
Examples of Dependent Variables

A researcher is interested in studying how the amount of

time spent studying influences test scores. In this example,
the amount of studying would be the independent variable
and the test scores would be the dependent variable. The
test scores vary based on the amount of studying prior to
the test. The researcher could change the independent
variable by instead evaluating how age or gender influence
test scores.
Independent Variable

Are those that the researcher has control

over. This "control" may involve manipulating
existing variables (e.g., modifying existing
methods of instruction) or introducing new
variables (e.g., adopting a totally new method
for some sections of a class) in the research
setting. Whatever the case may be, the
researcher expects that the independent
variable(s) will have some effect on (or
relationship with) the dependent variables.
Example of Independent Variable

You want to figure out which brand of microwave popcorn

pops the most kernels so you can get the most value for
your money. You test different brands of popcorn to see
which bag pops the most popcorn kernels.
Independent Variable: Brand of popcorn bag (It’s the
independent variable because you are actually deciding the
popcorn bag brands)
Intervening
Refer to abstract processes that are not directly
observable but that link the independent and
dependent variables. In language learning and
teaching, they are usually inside the subjects'
heads, including various language learning
processes which the researcher cannot observe. For
example, if the use of a particular teaching
technique is the independent variable and mastery
of the objectives is the dependent variable, then the
language learning processes used by the subjects
are the intervening variables.
Example of Intervening Variable

Intervening variable A variable, used in the process of

explaining an observed relationship between an
independent and dependent variable(s), such that X → T →
Y—where T is the intervening variable which is used to
explain the X → Y relationship. For example, if X is age and
Y is reading ability, the causal relationship between X and Y
might be explained by the intervening variable T, say
education, which explains the X → Y link. Hence X is an
indirect cause of Y through the intervening variable T: T
predicts Y but is simultaneously predicted by X.
Control Variables

Language learning and teaching are very

complex processes. It is not possible to
consider every variable in a single study.
Therefore, the variables that are not
measured in a particular study must be held
constant, neutralized/balanced, or eliminated,
so they will not have a biasing effect on the
other variables. Variables that have been
controlled in this way are called control
variables.
Examples of Controlled Variable

Temperature is a common type of controlled variable. If a

temperature is held constant during an experiment it is
controlled.

Other examples of controlled variables could be the amount

of light, always using the same type of glassware, constant
humidity, or duration of an experiment.
Confounding

Also known as a third variable or a mediator

variable, influences both the independent variable
and dependent variable. Being unaware of or failing
to control for confounding variables may cause the
researcher to analyze the results incorrectly. The
results may show a false correlation between the
dependent and independent variables, leading to an
incorrect rejection of the null hypothesis.
Examples of Confounding Variables

For example, if you are researching wether the lack of

excercise can lead to your weight gain but you did not take
into account the age in your study. Lack of excercise is your
independent variable and weight gain is your dependent
variable. Confounding variables are also any “extra”
variables that you did not account for. They can ruin
experiments and ruin test results
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). In an ideal world you’d run the
experiment, check the results, and voila! Unfortunately…like
many things in life…it’s a little more complicated that than.
Other variables, perhaps ones that never crossed your
mind, might influence the outcome of an experiment. These
undesirable variables are called extraneous variables.
Types of Extraneous Variables
Demand characteristics: environmental clues which tell the
participant how to behave, like features in the surrounding
or researcher’s non-verbal behavior.
Experimenter / Investigator Effects: where the researcher
unintentionally affects the outcome by giving clues to the
participants about how they should behave.
Participant variables, like prior knowledge, health status or
any other individual characteristic that could affect the
outcome.
Situational variables, like noise, lighting or temperature in
the environment.
How to write your Methodology

In your thesis or dissertation, you will have to discuss the

methods you used to do your research. The methodology or
methods section explains what you did and how you did it,
allowing readers to evaluate the reliability and validity of the
research. It should include:
The type of research you did
How you collected and/or selected your data
How you analyzed your data
Any tools or materials you used in the research
Your rationale for choosing these methods
The methodology section should generally be written in the past tense.
Step 1: Explain your methodological approach

Begin by introducing your overall approach to the research. What

research problem or question did you investigate, and what kind of
data did you need to answer it?

Quantitative methods (e.g. surveys) are best for measuring, ranking,

categorizing, identifying patterns and making generalizations
Qualitative methods (e.g. interviews) are best for describing,
interpreting, contextualizing, and gaining in-depth insight into
specific concepts or phenomena
Mixed methods allow for a combination of numerical measurement
and in-depth exploration
Depending on your discipline and approach, you might also begin
with a discussion of the rationale and assumptions underpinning
your methodology.

Was your aim to address a practical or a theoretical research

problem?
Why is this the most suitable approach to answering your research
questions?
Is this a standard methodology in your field or does it require
justification?
Were there any ethical or philosophical considerations?
What are the criteria for validity and reliability in this type of
research?
Step 2: Describe your methods of data collection

Once you have introduced your overall methodological

approach, you should give full details of the methods you
used to conduct the research. Outline the tools, procedures
and materials you used to gather data, and the criteria you
used to select participants or sources.
Quantitatives Methods

• Surveys
• Experiments
• Existing Data
Qualitative Methods
• Interviews or Focus Groups
• Participant Observation
Step 3: Describe your methods of analysis

Next, you should indicate how you processed and analyzed

the data. Avoid going into too much detail—you should not
start presenting or discussing any of your results at this
stage.
Quantitative methods

In quantitative research, your analysis will be based on

numbers. In the methods section you might include:
How you prepared the data before analyzing it (e.g.
checking for missing data, removing outliers, transforming
variables)
Which software you used to analyze the data (e.g. SPSS or
Stata)
Which statistical methods you used (e.g. regression
analysis)
Qualitative methods
In qualitative research, your analysis will be based on language,
images and observations. Methods might include:

Content analysis: coding and categorizing themes and ideas

Narrative analysis: looking at storytelling structures and tropes and
interpreting their meaning
Discourse analysis: looking at communication and meaning
(including language, images, and nonverbal interactions) in relation
to their social context
Step 4: Evaluate and justify your methodological
choices
Your methodology should make the case for why you chose
these particular methods, especially if you did not take the
most standard approach to your topic. Discuss why other
methods were not suitable for your objectives, and show
how this approach contributes new knowledge or
understanding.

You can acknowledge limitations or weaknesses in the

approach you chose, but justify why these were outweighed
by the strengths.
Tips for writing a strong methodology

Remember that your aim is not just to describe your

methods, but to show how and why you applied them and to
demonstrate that your research was rigorously conducted.
Focus on your objectives and research questions
The methodology section should clearly show why your
methods suit your objectives and convince the reader that
you chose the best possible approach to answering your
problem statement and research questions. Throughout the
section, relate your choices back to the central purpose of
your dissertation.
Cite relevant sources

Your methodology can be strengthened by reference to

existing research in the field, either to:

• Confirm that you followed established practices for this

type of research
• Discuss how you evaluated different methodologies and
decided on your approach
• Show that you took a novel methodological approach to
address a gap in the literature
Write for your audience

Consider how much information you need to give, and don’t

go into unnecessary detail. If you are using methods that
are standard for your discipline, you probably don’t need to
give lots of background or justification. But if you take an
approach that is less common in your field, you might need
to explain and justify your methodological choices.

In either case, your methodology should be a clear, well-

structured text that makes an argument for your approach,
not just a list of technical details and procedures.
Discuss obstacles

If you encountered difficulties in collecting or analyzing

data, explain how you dealt with them. Show how you
minimized the impact of any unexpected obstacles. Pre-
empt any major critiques of your approach and demonstrate
that you made the research as rigorous as possible.
Research Locale

Research locale is a term that refers to a specified area

and/or subject that is being studied in a research project.

How to plan a research project: Questions and placement

Planning your study is the most important part of the whole
research process. You need to carefully devise a number of
questions and aims that you are attempting to discover. The
research locale is vital in this process because you need to
make decisions on what specific subject you are
researching and what location you are going to be
conducting it in.
Get clued up
Before you undertake any form of research you need to
ensure that you have all the knowledge of the area you are
studying available to you. If you are confident you know all
there is to know about your area of study then the process
should be successful. Therefore access various literature
and text books that could be relevant. You can do this
through online facilities or libraries.
Planning the process
Once you have the area and main aims of your study you
need to plan how and when you are going to carry out the
relevant research and detail each section of the study. It is
important that you plan when you are going to do each
portion of the study, so perhaps you should create a
timeline to ensure that you stay on track.
Keep notes
It is very important that you keep a record of everything
related to the research that you have done. Even make note
of the small things that may seem insignificant to you
because this could be a long process and if you have
everything recorded then you won't make the mistake of
doing the same thing twice.
Answers to the activity earlier
Dependent
Independent
Intervening
Control
Confounding
Extraneous
PoP qUiZ tyme (5 school points each) ((pls close
notebooks thnx))
1-4. Describe four types of variables
in one sentence
5. Describe variables in two or more
sentences