Project MIMs

Grade 12 – Practical Research 2

G12 MIMs LC 3
VARIABLE AND ITS KINDS
Learning Competency:
• differentiates kinds of variables and their uses

Objectives:
• enumerate and describe the different kinds of variables;
• cite the uses of different kinds of variables

REMEMBER:

VARIABLES IN RESEARCH

The term ‘variable’ has been mentioned several times so that it is necessary to define
it here. In research, a variable refers to a “characteristics that has two or more mutually
exclusive values or properties” (Sevilla and Other, 1988). Sex, for instance, has two
properties which are maleness and femaleness. The ages of different persons have
different values, so with their size, height, weight and income. The phenomenon of variety
is what makes life interesting; it is one of the motivating factors of the research undertaking.

The root word of the word variable is “vary” or simply “can change”. These variables
are among the fundamental concepts of research, alongside with measurement, validity,
reliability, cause and effect, and theory. Bernard (1994) defines a variable as something that
can take more than one value, and values can be words or numbers.

A variable specifically refers to characteristics, or attribute of an individual or an

organization that can be measured or observed and that varies among the people or
organization being studied (Creswell, 2002).

ENLIGHTEN:

TYPES OF VARIABLES (ALLEN, TITSWORTH, HUNT, 2009)

1. CONTINUOUS VARIABLE. A variable that can take infinite number on the value that
can occur within the population. Its values can be divided into fractions. Examples of
this type of variable include age, height, and temperature. Continuous variables can be
further categorized as:

a. INTERVAL VARIABLE. It has values that lie along an evenly dispersed range
of numbers. It is a measurement where the difference between two values does have
meaning. Examples of interval data include temperature, a person’s net worth (how
much money you have when you subtract your debt from your assets), etc. In
temperature, this may illustrate as the difference between a temperature of 60
degrees and 50 degrees is the same as difference between 30 degrees and 20
degrees. The interval between values makes sense and can be interpreted.

b. RATIO VARIABLE. It has values that lie along an evenly dispersed range of
numbers when there is absolute zero. It possesses the properties of interval variable
and has a clear definition of zero, indication that there is none of that variable.
Examples of which are height, weight, and distance. Most scores stemming from
response to survey items are ratio-level values because they typically cannot go
below zero. Temperature measured in degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit
is not a ratio variable because 0 under these temperatures scales does not mean no
temperature at all.
2. DISCRETE VARIABLE. This is also known as categorical or classificatory variable. This
is any variable that has limited number of distinct values and which cannot be divided
into fractions like sex, blood group, and number of children in family. Discrete variable
may also categorize into:

a. NOMINAL VARIABLE. It represents categories that cannot be ordered in any

particular way. It is a variable with no quantitative value. It has two or more categories
but does not imply ordering of cases. Common examples of this variable include eye
color, business type, religion, biological sex, political affiliation, basketball fan
affiliation, etc. A sub-type of nominal scale with only two categories just like sex is
known as dichotomous.

b. ORDINAL VARIABLE. It represents categories that can be ordered from greatest

to smallest. This variable has two or more categories which can be ranked. Examples
of ordinal variable include education level, income brackets, etc. An illustration of this
is, if you asked people if they liked listening to music while studying and they could
answer either “NOT VERY MUCH”, “MUCH”, “VERY MUCH” then you have an
ordinal variable. While you can rank them, we cannot place a value to them. In this
type, distances between attributes do not have any meaning. For example, you used
educational attainment as a variable on survey, you might code elementary school
graduates = 1, high graduates = 2, college undergraduate = 3, and college graduate
= 4. In this measure, higher number means greater education. Even though
we can rank these from lowest to highest, the spacing between the values may not
be the same across the levels of the variables. The distance between 3 and 4 is not
the same with the distance between 1 and 2.

KINDS OF VARIABLES

Several experts have lumped together the following as the major kinds of variables:

1. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES. Those that probably cause, influence, or affect outcomes.

They are invariably called treatment, manipulated, antecedent or predictor variables.
This is the cause variable or the one responsible for the conditions that act on something
else to bring about changes.

EXAMPLE: A study is on the relationship of study habits and academic performance

of MNHS senior high school students. STUDY HABITS is the independent
variable because it influenced the outcome or the performance of the
students.

2. DEPENDENT VARIABLES. Those that depend on the independent variables; they are
the outcomes or results of the influence of the independent variable. That is why it is also
called outcome variable.

EXAMPLE: A study is on the relationship of study habits and academic performance of

MNHS senior high school students. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE is the
dependent variable because it is depending on the study habits of the
students; if the students change their study habit the academic performance
also change.

3. INTERVENING OR MEDLING VARIABLES. Variables that “stand between” the

independent and dependent variables, and they show the effects of the independent
variable on the dependent variable.

EXAMPLE: Consider the given below. Even if farm production is good, if the attitude
towards payment is negative, loan repayment would be low, whereas, if the
attitude towards repayment is positive or favorable, loan repayment would
be high.
4. CONTROL VARIABLES. A special type of independent variables that are measured in
the study because they potentially influence the dependent variable. Researchers
use statistical procedures (e.g. analysis of covariance) to control these variables. They
may be demographic or personal variables that need to be “controlled” so that the true
influence of the independent variable on the dependent variable can be determined.

5. CONFOUNDING VARIABLES. Variables that are not actually measured or observed in

a study. They exist but their influence cannot be directly detected in a study. Researchers
comment on the influence of confounding variables after the study has been completed,
because these variables may have operated to explain the relationship between the
independent variables and dependent variable, but they were not or could not be easily
assessed.

LET’S TRY:

A. Identification

Instructions: Identify the word being described by the following sentences. Write your answer
on the space provided for each number. Choose your answer from the box below.

VARIABLE DEPENDENT INDEPENDENT CONTROL

CONTINUOUS INTERVENING CONFOUNDING INTERVAL
NOMINAL ORDINAL RATIO ABSTRACT

1. It refers to the characteristics that have two or more mutually exclusive values or
properties. _______________
2. Variables that represent categories that cannot be ordered in any particular way.
_______________
3. Special kind of independent variables that are measured in a study because they
potentially influence the dependent variable. _______________
4. Variables that have values that lie along an evenly dispersed range of numbers when
there is an absolute zero, as opposed to net worth, which can have a negative debt-to-
income ratio-level variable. _______________
5. Kind of variable that are not actually measured or observed in a study. They exist but
their influence cannot be directly detected in a study. _______________
6. It “stands between” the independent and dependent variables, and they show the effects
of the independent variable on the dependent variable. _______________
7. Variables that represent categories that can be ordered from greatest to smallest.
_______________
8. Kind of variable that probably cause, influence, or effect outcomes. They are variably
called treatment, manipulated, antecedent or predictor variables. _______________
9. Variables that depend on independent variables; they are the outcomes or results of the
influence of the independent variable. _______________
10. Variables that have values that lie along an evenly dispersed range of numbers.
_______________

B. Classifying

Instructions: Classify the following variables as to its types. Write I if the variable is Interval,
N if Nominal, R if Ratio or O if Ordinal.

1. Military Title ___________

2. Temperature in degree Celsius ___________
3. Birthplace ___________
4. Year Level ___________
5. Favorite Type of Music ___________
6. Clothing such as hat, shirt, shoes ___________
7. A score in 5- item quiz in Math ___________
8. Feeling for today ___________
9. Means of Transportation ___________
10. How internet is used at home ___________
11. Freshman, Sophomore ___________
12. Person’s net worth ___________
13. Male or female ___________
14. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ___________
15. Political Affiliation ___________
 REINFORCEMENT:

A. Identification

Instructions: Enumerate five (5) research titles and identify the variables and the constant.
Determine the independent and dependent variables then classify whether
the variable is a discrete variable or continuous variable.

EXAMPLE:

Research Title:
A Study on the Relationship of Study Habits and Academic Performance of UP Students

VARIABLE
CONSTANT DISCRETE/ DISCRETE/
INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS
Academic
UP Students Study Habits Discrete Discrete
Performance

1. Research Title:
____________________________________________________________________

VARIABLE
CONSTANT DISCRETE/ DISCRETE/
INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS

2. Research Title:
____________________________________________________________________

VARIABLE
CONSTANT DISCRETE/ DISCRETE/
INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS

3. Research Title:
____________________________________________________________________

VARIABLE
CONSTANT DISCRETE/ DISCRETE/
INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS

4. Research Title:
____________________________________________________________________

VARIABLE
CONSTANT DISCRETE/ DISCRETE/
INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS

5. Research Title:
____________________________________________________________________

VARIABLE
CONSTANT DISCRETE/ DISCRETE/
INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS
 Challenge!

Find ten (10) different research titles and identify the variables on the chosen titles.
Then, classify the variables as to its types and kinds. Follow the format below.

Type of Kind of
No. RESEARCH TITLE Variables
Variable Variable

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Prepared by:

MR. JESTER G. DE LEON

Master Teacher I, MNHS – SHS