Nothing Special   »   [go: up one dir, main page]

1 The Nature of Variables

Download as docx, pdf, or txt
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 1

The Nature of Variables

Variables

• Are “changing qualities or characteristics” of persons or things like age, gender, intelligence,
ideas, achievements, confidence, and so on that are involved in your research study.

• Made up of the root or base word “vary” which means to undergo changes or to differ from,
variables have different or varying values in relation to time and situation.

Types of Variables

• Independent variables are those that cause changes in the subject

• Dependent variables are those that bear or manifest the effects caused by the independent
variables.

Variable Relationships

• In a scientific way of studying cause-effect relationships, independent and dependent variable


are part and parcel of the research because the first one is the cause; the second, the effect that you can
subject to any form of measurement.

• However, as you carry out the research, it is possible that one, two, or more variables or extra
variables crop up to create an impact on the relationship between the independent and dependent
variables. Being extra variables, they form this other type of variables called extraneous variables.

• For example, in the case of SFG vs. IC, (the first as the independent variable; the second as the
dependent variable) extraneous variables like age, gender, or personality traits may suddenly surface to
create effects on the relationships of the two basic variables. Such extraneous variables are called
participant variables if they refer to the moods, emotions, or intelligence of the subject; situational
variables, if they pertain to nature of the place: smelly, chilly, cold, hot, spacious, and the like.

You might also like