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Lecture-5 (Ch. 4, Uma) - Types of Variables

The document discusses different types of variables in hypothesis development, including: 1) Dependent variables which are the main variables of interest that are influenced by independent variables. 2) Independent variables which influence dependent variables and precede them temporally. 3) Mediating variables which intervene between the independent and dependent variables. 4) Moderating variables which modify the strength of the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The document also discusses hypothesis testing and different types of hypotheses such as directional vs. non-directional hypotheses and null vs. alternative hypotheses.

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Kamran Yousaf Awan
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65 views

Lecture-5 (Ch. 4, Uma) - Types of Variables

The document discusses different types of variables in hypothesis development, including: 1) Dependent variables which are the main variables of interest that are influenced by independent variables. 2) Independent variables which influence dependent variables and precede them temporally. 3) Mediating variables which intervene between the independent and dependent variables. 4) Moderating variables which modify the strength of the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The document also discusses hypothesis testing and different types of hypotheses such as directional vs. non-directional hypotheses and null vs. alternative hypotheses.

Uploaded by

Kamran Yousaf Awan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Types of Variables and

Hypothesis Development
• A variable is anything that may assume
different numerical values.
• A variable is anything that can take on differing or
varying values.
• The values can differ at various times for the same
object or person, or at the same time for different
objects or persons.
• Examples of variables are production units,
absenteeism, and motivation.
Types of Variables
• Dependent Variable (Criterion variable)
• Independent Variable (Predictor Variable)
• Mediating Variable (Intervening variable)
• Moderating variable
Dependent Variable
• The variable of primary interest to the
researcher.
• Researcher's goal is to understand and
describe the dependent variable, or to
explain its variability, or predict it.
• In other words, it is the main variable that
lends itself for investigation as a viable
factor.
Dependent Variable
• Through the analysis of the dependent
variable (i.e., finding what variables
influence it), it is possible to find answers
or solutions to the problem.
• For this purpose, the researcher will be
interested in quantifying and measuring the
dependent variable, as well as the other
variables that influence this variable.
Dependent Variable
Examples:
Increase in Sales
Organizational performance
Employee performance

• It is possible to have more than one


dependent variable in a study.
Independent/Predictor Variable
Independent variable is one that influences
the dependent variable in either a positive
or negative way.
• When the independent variable is present,
the dependent variable is also present,
• with each unit of increase in the
independent variable, there is an increase or
decrease in the dependent variable.
Independent/Predictor Variable
• To establish that a change in the
independent variable causes a change in the
dependent variable, four conditions should
be met:
1.The independent and the dependent variable
should covary (a change in
the dependent variable should be associated
with a change in the independent variable.
Independent/Predictor Variable
2. The independent variable (the presumed
causal factor) should precede the dependent
variable. In other words,
• There must be a time sequence in which the
two occur: the cause must occur before the
effect.
3. No other factor should be a possible cause
of the change in the dependent variable.
• Hence, the researcher should control for the
effects of other variables.
Independent/Predictor Variable
4. A logical explanation (a theory) is needed
about why the independent variable affects
the dependent variable.
Mediating Variable
• A mediating variable (or intervening
variable) is one that surface/float up
between the time the independent variable
start operating to influence the dependent
variable.
• The mediating variable explain the
influence of the independent variable on the
dependent variable.
Moderating Variable

• Moderating variable is one that has a strong


contingent effect on the direction and/or
strength independent variable–dependent
variable relationship.
• It modifies the original relationship between
the independent and the dependent
variables.
Hypothesis Testing
• A hypothesis is a proposition that is
empirically testable. It is an empirical
statement concerned with the relationship
among variables.
• Hypotheses are derived from the theory on
which your conceptual model is based and
are often relational in nature.
• By testing the hypotheses it is expected that
solutions can be found to correct the problem
encountered.
Types of Hypothesis

• Directional & Non-directional hypotheses

• Null & Alternative Hypothesis


Directional Hypothesis
• Directional hypothesis states the
relationship between two variables or
comparing two groups, in positive,
negative, more than, less than,
• Must indicate the direction of the
relationship between the variables
(positive/negative).
Non-directional Hypothesis
• Non-directional hypotheses are those that do
postulate a relationship or difference, but offer
no indication of the direction of these
relationships or differences.
• There is a significant relationship between two
variables,
• We may not be able to say whether the
relationship is positive or negative.
• There is a relationship between age and job
satisfaction.
Null & Alternative Hypothesis
• The hypothetico-deductive method requires
that hypotheses are falsifiable.
• They must be written in such a way that
other researchers can show them to be false.
• A null hypothesis (H0) is a hypothesis set
up to be rejected in order to support an
alternate hypothesis, labeled HA.
• For instance, the null hypothesis may state
that advertising does not affect sales, or that
women and men buy equal amounts of
shoes.
• Null hypothesis may state that the
correlation between two variables is equal
to zero (or some other definite number).
• Typically, the null statement is expressed in
terms of there being no (significant)
relationship between two variables or no
(significant) difference between two groups.
Null & Alternative Hypothesis
• The alternate hypothesis, which is the
opposite of the null, is a statement
expressing a relationship between two
variables or indicating differences between
groups.

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