VARIABLES AND ITS CLASSIFICATION

According to Sevilla, et. al. (1992) any endeavor that concerns

people is challenging, thus stimulating. This stems from the fact that
people are varied; hence their behaviors are complex. In research,
one of the phenomena that make people interesting is the variable.
The following are some definitions of variable.
1. Variable is any quantity or characteristic which may possess
different numerical values or categories;
2. It is a characteristic that has two or more mutually exclusive
values of properties;
3. A factor which is dependent upon other factors or one of the
conditions controlled or measured in an experiment; and
4. Construct or properties being investigated.
 CLASSIFICATION OF VARIABLES

A. Variables according to Continuity of Values

1.Continuous Variables. These are variables whose levels can

take continuous values. It can be divided into similar units and reading
represents a lower and upper limits. Examples are height, weight,
capacity, width, or measurements of varying degrees of precision.

2. Discrete or Discontinuous Variables. These are variables

whose values or levels cannot take form of decimals. They are
expressed only in whole units. Examples are size of family, number
of people, number of cars passing a point during a certain period
of time, etc.
B. Variables according to Level of Scale of Measurement

1. Nominal Variable. It refers to a property or numbers or group

defined by an operation which allows making of statements only in
equality or difference. It is used as a measure of identity, classification
of an object, person or characteristics. It is determined by just
counting. Examples are sex/gender, religion, eye color, color of
the skin, political party, etc.

2. Ordinal Variables. It refers to as property defined by an

operation where members of a particular group are ranked. It is
arranged from highest to lowest or vice versa. Examples are
hardness of mineral, judging individuals according to
aggressiveness, cooperativeness and some other qualities.
 3. Interval Variable. It refers to a property defined by an
operation which permits making of statements of equality of intervals
rather than just statements of sameness or difference and greater
than or less than. The units used are equal. It has arbitrary chosen
zero points. Examples are temperature, grades, and scores in
tests.

4. Ratio Variable It refers to a property defined by an operation

which permits making statements of equality of ratios in addition to
statement of sameness or difference, greater than or less than, and
equality or inequality of difference. An absolute zero is always
implied for a ratio variable. Examples are measures of length,
width, weight, capacity, age, and loudness.
C. Variables according to Functional Relationship
1. Dependent or Criterion Variable. It is the outcome or objective of the
study, It simply refers to the result of the study.
2. Independent of Variate or Predictor Variable. It is that property or
characteristics that make the outcome or objective vary or differ. An independent
variable may be:
2.1 Manipulable or Active Variable. This is a variable which can be
directly manipulated in an experimental study. Some manipulable or active
variables are methods of teaching, use of instructional materials, reinforcement
or the use of feedback.
2.2 Non-Manipulable Variable. It is an independent variable which cannot
be changed. It is considered assigned or organismic. Some examples are
sex/gender, mental ability, age, socio-economic status, aptitude, race and civil
status.
2.3 Intervening or Moderator or Extraneous Variable. It refers to the
variable which affect the dependent variable but which is controlled.

Note: A variable that is dependent in one study may be independent or

moderator in another study.