Module 2: Variables

Introduction:

Variables are those characteristic which can take on more than one
value and which shows variation from person to person or from case to
case or from event to event. If for instance, a researcher observes a
group of individuals and measures their age, height, weight, intelligence,
achievement and attitudes, such characteristics are called variables
because one would expect to find variations from person to person of
these attributes. The types of variables are: Quantitative, Qualitative,
Independent, Dependent, Discrete, Continuous and Suppressor
Variables.

Quantitative Variable
These are variables which vary in quantity and are therefore recorded in
numerical form, examples are age, test scores, time required to solve
problems, height, weight etc.
Qualitative Variable
These are variables which vary in quality and may be recorded by means
of a verbal label or through the use of code numbers. Examples are sex,
colour of hair or eyes, handedness, shape of face etc.
Independent Variable
These are the variables which are manipulated in an experimental study
by the experimenter in order to see what effect changes in those
variables have on the other variable which is hypothesized to be
dependent upon it. Variations in an independent variable are presumed to
result in variations in the dependent variable.
Dependent Variables
These are variables so called because their values are thought to depend
on, or vary with the values of the independent variables. Note that in non-
experimental studies the independent variable is not manipulated by the
experimenter, but is a pre-existing variable which is hypothesized to
influence a dependent variable.

Discrete Variables
These are variables which can take on only a specific set of values.
These variables can only yield whole number values, and no fractions.
Take for instance, the number of students in a class. This can be 35, 40,
42, 45 etc, but cannot be 35½ or 40¼ etc. Family size is another discrete
variables. Take your own family for example, your family may be
composed of 4, 5, 7 or more people, but values between the numbers or
fractions would not be possible, as you cannot have 4½ or 5½ etc.
people. Discrete variables may be either qualitative – sex, marital status,
handedness, state of origin, nationality, or quantitative – number of books
in the library, number of goats in the farm, number of graduate teachers
in the school, number of boys doing chemistry in a class etc.

Continuous Variables
These are variables which can assume any values, including fractional
values, within a range of values. In other words, continuous variables are
measured in both whole and fractional units. Age, height, weight,
intelligent test, achievement test scores, daily caloric intake, time, length
etc. are all examples of continuous variables. An individual can be
described as 12½ years old, 1.7m tall, and weight of 70.3kg etc. These
variables are always quantitative in nature and exist along a continuum
from the smallest amount of the variable at one extreme to the largest
amount possible at the other end. For instance, to go from 25 to 26, one
must pass through a large number of fractional parts such as 25.0, 25.1,
25.2 etc. Measurement here is always an approximation of the true value.
This is because no matter how accurately you try to measure, it is not
possible to measure and record all the possible values of a continuous
variable. These are measured therefore, to the nearest convenient unit.
Take 25.0 to 25.1 as an example, you will note that from 25.0 you have
25.001, 25.002, 25.003 etc. 25.01, 25.02, 25.03 etc. It can be endless to
count from 25.0 to 26.

Suppressor Variable

A suppressor variable is one whose function in a regression equation is to

suppress in other independent variables that variance which is not
represented in the criterion but which may be in some variable that does
otherwise correlate with the criterion.

References:

https://www.ifsw.org/statistics-in-social-work-an-introduction-to-
practical-application/