LESSON REVIEW (5 minutes)

NUR 027 (Nursing Research 1-Lecture) BS

STUDENT ACTIVITY NURSING/SECOND YEAR
SHEET Session # 8

Materials:
LESSON TITLE: EXPLANATORY VARIABLES Book, pen and notebook

Textbook:
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon completion of this lesson, the nursing student will be Barrientos-Tan, C. (2011). A Research Guide in Nursing
able to: Education: Building an Evidence-Based Practice. Pasay
City: Philippines, Visprint Inc.
1. Explain the explanatory variables in research.
2. Differentiate types of explanatory variables.
References:
Polit, Denise F. & Beck, Cheryl T. (2012). Nursing
research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing
research (9th ed.), Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

The instructor will open a box of rolled papers with your assigned numbers. The students whose numbers were
picked by the instructor will answer one of the following questions:
1. What is a variable?
2. What are the characteristics of a variable?

MAIN LESSON (30 minutes)

A. Explanatory Variable
This refers to the phenomenon under study that varies or assumes different values. This is the variable of interest to
the researcher. The focus of researcher that indicates direction of influence to what the researcher would like to
discover. It is not merely limited to establishing a direct causal link between the persons, objects or things being
studied but to explore an explain all variables affecting the phenomenon under inquiry.

Types of Explanatory Variables

There are four types of explanatory variables, namely, independent, dependent, intervening, moderator.

1. Independent Variable
Independent variables are factors that are being manipulated by the researcher and are the focus of the inquiry. They
are also called experimental, treatment, causal or stimulus variables. To a great extent, the variability of the
independent variable influences the variability of the dependent variable being studied.
Example:
∙ Self-Concept, Personal and Professional Characteristics of Staff nurses
∙ Work Values of Nurse Managers
∙ Mineral Water Container with Droplight.

2. Dependent Variable
Dependent variables are the factors that are affected or influenced by the independent variable. They are also called
criterion, effect, response or outcome variable, which captures the interest of the researcher. It reflects change
brought about or caused by the independent variable. This requires analysis, interpretation and implications of the
findings of the study for knowledge and practical purposes.

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Examples:
 ∙ Patient satisfaction Index
∙ Clinical Performance of Staff nurses
∙ Thermoregulation of Infants

3. Intervening Variable
Intervening variables are factors or variables that can come between the independent and the dependent variables
and can influence the effect of the former on the latter. These are also called as correlated or mediator variables
Examples:
Independent Variables (IV) and Dependent Variables (DV):
∙ Self-Concept, Personal and Professional Characteristics of staff nurses (IV) in Relation to
Patients’ Satisfaction Index (DV) Intervening variables: nurses’ age, sex, knowledge, Skills,
attitude, patient’s status and diagnosis.
∙ Work Values of Nurses Managers (IV) and Clinical Performance of staff nurses (DV). Intervening
variables: time management, goals and objectives, socialization process.
∙ Thermoregulation of Infants (DV) utilizing Mineral water Container and Droplight (IV). Intervening
variables: Infants’ age of gestation, birth weight, method of delivery.

4. Moderator Variable
Moderator variable are variables that affects the strength or direction of the relationship between the independent and
the dependent variable. The independent variable interacts with the moderator variable which makes the relationship
of the independent and dependent variable stronger or weaker in regard to the different values of the moderator
variable (Polit & Beck, 2008)
Example:
The degree of anxiety experienced during hospitalization is low among toddlers who had
previous hospitalization (moderating variable hospital experience is greater than 0) but high among
toddlers who have no previous hospitalization (when hospital experience equals 0). When all toddlers
are considered together without taking hospital experience into account, relationship between
hospital experience (IV) and degree of anxiety (DV) might appear moderate. Therefore, identifying
hospital experience as a key moderator variable is important in understanding the relationship
between hospitalization and degree of anxiety among toddlers.

Table 3. Independent, Intervening Variables and Dependent Variables

Independent Variable Intervening Variable Dependent Variable

1. Nursing Experience; attitude of the Extent of recovery of post

Intervention nurse; facilities; patients operative patients

2. Preoperative Teaching approaches; Extent of pain relief needed

Teaching subjects taught; skill of the by the patient
nurse

3. Primary Nursing Age, sex, education and training Status/Extent of patient

satisfaction

B. Extraneous or Exogenous Variables

Although extraneous variables are not the direct foci of the study, they tend to affect results to a certain extent. These
variables are not the direct interest of the researcher, and must be controlled or eliminated in order for the hypothesis
to be validly tested.

There are two types of extraneous variable, namely:

1. Organismic Variables
These are physiological, psychological and demographic factors of the target population that could affect the outcome
of the study
Example:
Age, sex civil status, education, employment, height, weight, ethnicity and religion, among others.

2. Environmental Variables
These are economic, anthropological, sociological and physical factors that influence the phenomenon under study

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Example: Climate, organizational set-up or hospital setting, home setting, Government composition,
and family composition, among other factors.

C. Abstract or Continuous Variables

These are factors that have different values which are quantitatively measured and statistically tested through the
hypotheses. These variables are used in almost all types of research studies.
Examples: Age – values from 0 to 100
BP – 120/80 to 180/110

D. Dichotomous Variables
These are factors with only two values, used in comparative studies and specifically identified in the
hypotheses. Examples: smoker – non-smoker
pregnant – non-pregnant
male – female

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING (15 minutes)

Short Quiz. You are to identify the independent, dependent, and variables to be eliminated
extraneous or intervening/extraneous variable on the following research questions. (15 points)

1. Is hearing acuity of the elderly affecting self-esteem?

ANSWERS:
IV: Time of day.
DV: Hearing acuity among the elderly.
IV/EV: Hearing handicap resulting from hearing loss may lead to psychosocial problems in elders. Previous
studies have shown relations among hearing handicap, loneliness and low self-esteem, but those studies
focused on populations other than elders.

2. Does home birth affect the parents’ satisfaction with the childbirth experience?
ANSWERS:
IV: LOCATION OF GIVING BIRTH--home birth VS. HOSPITAL
DV: Parent's satisfaction w/ childbirth experience
IV/EV:Those studies described that mothers who gave birth at home were more satisfied than the mothers
who gave birth at the hospital, and reported that less intervention and having close contact with the baby
contributed to increasing the childbirth satisfaction

3. What cases of upper respiratory infection attributed to the cold weather?

ANSWERS:
IV:______________________________

DV:______________________________

IV/EV:______________________________

4. Is the recurring polio virus a consequence of non-adherence to OPV?

ANSWERS:
IV:______________________________

DV:______________________________

IV/EV:______________________________

5. Are the student enrolees in BSN increasing upon announcement of job order for nurses in the
European countries?
ANSWERS:
IV:______________________________

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 DV:______________________________

IV/EV:______________________________

RATIONALIZATION ACTIVITY
The instructor will now rationalize the answers to the students and will encourage them to ask questions and to
discuss among their classmates.

1. Is hearing acuity of the elderly affecting self-esteem?

ANSWERS:
IV:______________________________

DV:______________________________

IV/EV:______________________________

2. Does home birth affect the parents’ satisfaction with the childbirth experience?
ANSWERS:
IV:______________________________

DV:______________________________

IV/EV:______________________________

3. What cases of upper respiratory infection attributed to the cold weather?

ANSWERS:
IV:______________________________

DV:______________________________

IV/EV:______________________________

4. Is the recurring polio virus a consequence of non-adherence to OPV?

ANSWERS:
IV:______________________________

DV:______________________________

IV/EV:______________________________

5. Are the student enrolees in BSN increasing upon announcement of job order for nurses in the
European countries?
ANSWERS:
IV:______________________________

DV:______________________________

IV/EV:______________________________

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LESSON WRAP-UP (10 minutes)

You will now mark (encircle) the session you have finished today in the tracker below. This is simply a visual to help
you track how much work you have accomplished and how much work there is left to do.

You are done with the session! Let’s track your progress.

AL Strategy: Turn and Talk

Step 1: The instructor poses this question:

If you are a research variable, what type will you be? Justify your answer.

Step 2: Turn to the next student seated to your right to be your partner.
Step 3: Each pair is given 2 minutes to discuss the assigned question. When the time is up, you and your partner
will be assigned to share thoughts and ideas from your discussion.

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