Variable and its types

SUBJECT:
R E S E A R C H A N D L IT E RAT U R E R E V I E W
S U B M IT T E D TO :
M A' A M S A B A
S U B M IT T E D B Y:
(GROUP F)
S A M IA AM I N , S A M IN A G H AN I , A N U M Z U L F IQ A R , E M A A N A S L A M ,
D O D A K H A N, S H A H Z A D S U LTA N

FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
THE ISLAMIYA UNIVERSITY OF BAHAWALPUR
Content
Variable
What is variable in research?
Types of variable
Example of variable
Purpose of variable
Advantages and disadvantages of variable
Variables:
Definition:
In Research, Variables refer to characteristics or attributes that can be measured ,
manipulated or controlled. They are the factors that researchers observe or
manipulate to understand the relationship between them and the outcomes of
interest.
OR
Within the context of a research investigation, concepts are generally referred to as
variables. A variable is, as the name applies, something that varies is called Variable.
What is Variable in Research?
A variable is any property, characteristic, number, or a quantity that increases or
decreases over time or can take on different values (as opposed to constants,
such as n, that do not vary) in different situations.
When conducting research, experiments often manipulate variables. For
example, an experimenter might compare the effectiveness of four types of
fertilizers. In this case, the variable is the ‘type of fertilizers.
Types of Variables:
There are six (6) types of variable are;
1.Qualitative Variables
2.Quantitative Variables
3.Discrète Variables
4.Continuous Variables
5.Independent Variables
6.Dependent Variables
Qualitative Variables:
 An important distinction between variables is the qualitative and quantitative
variables.
 Qualitative variables represent properties that differ in "type of attributes"
(i.e., a type of attribute or quality), such as sex, religious affiliation, eye color, and
marital status. And may be categorized as male or female and as Buddhist,
Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and so forth. These categories represent
differences in the "kind" of the attribute. In their study of children's externalizing
behavior, Callender at (2019) classified children as boys or girls and parents as
mothers or fathers. In their aviation study, Hooey and Foyle (2006) broke down
navigation errors into three categories planning errors, decision errors, and
execution errors. Thus, "type of navigation error" is a qualitative variable.
Quantitative Variables:
 Quantitative variables, also called numeric variables.
 Quantitative variables represent properties that differ in "amount." People differ
quantitatively in their height, weight, degree of shyness, time spent learning a task,
and blood alcohol levels on a Saturday night. Sounds vary quantitatively in intensity
and perceived loudness. Parents differ quantitatively in their level of depression,
and children differ qualitatively in their number of externalizing behaviors.
 A quantitative variable is one for which the resulting observations are numeric and
thus possess a natural ordering or ranking.
Discrete Variables:
A discrete variable, restricted to certain values, usually (but not necessarily)
consists of whole numbers, such as the family size and a number of defective items
in a box. They are often the results of enumeration or counting.
A few more examples are;
 The number of accidents in the twelve months.
 The number of mobile cards sold in a store within seven days.
 The number of patients admitted to a hospital over a specified period.
 The number of new branches of a bank opened annually during 2001- 2007.
 The number of weekly visits made by health personnel in the last 12 months.
Continuous Variable:
A continuous variable may take on an infinite number of intermediate values along
a specified interval.
Examples are:
The sugar level in the human body  Current ratio (CR)
Blood pressure reading  Rate of bank interest
Temperature  Internal rate of return (IRR)
Height or weight of the human body  Earning ratio (ER)
A continuous variable generally results from measurement and can assume
countless values in the specified range.
Dependent Variables:
 The variable used to describe or measure the problem or outcome under study is
called a dependent variable.
 In a causal relationship, the cause is the independent variable, and the effect is
the dependent variable. If we hypothesize that smoking causes lung cancer,
‘smoking’ is the independent variable and cancer the dependent variable.
Independent Variables:
 The variable that is used to describe or measure the factor that is assumed to
cause or at least to influence the problem or outcome is called an independent
variable.
 The definition implies that the experimenter uses the independent variable to
describe or explain its influence or effect of it on the dependent variable.
Examples of Variables:
AGE: This is a Continuous variable that represents the age of an individual in
years.
Gender: This is a categorical variable that represents the biological sex of an
individual and can take on the values such as male and female.
Income: This is a Continuous variable that represents the amount of money
earned by an individual in a year.
Weight: This is a Continuous variable that represents the weight of an
individual in kilograms or pounds.
Purpose of Variables:
Variables serve several purposes in Research including;
 To provide a of measuring and quantifying Concept:
Variables help Researchers to measure and quantify abstract concept such as
Attitudes, Behaviors, and perception.
 To help explain relationships Between different factors:
Variables help Researchers to explain relationships Between different factors.
Purpose of Variables:
 To make predictions about future outcomes:
Variables help Researchers to make predictions about future outcomes based on
past observation.
 To test Hypothesis:
Variables help Researchers to test Hypothesis and theories by collecting or
analyzing data on different variables.
Advantages of Variables:
Here are some advantages of using variables in research;
 Control: Variables allow researcher to control the effects factors that could
influence the outcome of the study.
 Replicability: Variables make it possible for other researchers to replicate the
study and test its findings.
 Clarity: Variables help researches to communicate their findings more clearly
and effectively by defending and categorizing variables, so Researchers can
organize and present their findings in a way that is easily understandable to
others.
Advantages of Variables:
 Generalizablity: Variables allow researchers to generalize their findings to
larger populations by selecting variables that are representative of the
population, researchers can draw conclusions that are applicable to a broader
range od individuals.
Disadvantages of Variables:
Here are some of the main disadvantages of using variables in research:
 Simplification: Variables may oversimplify the complexity of real-world
phenomena.
 Measurement error: Variables rely on accurate and precise measurement, and
measurement error can affect the reliability and validity of research findings. 
 Ethical concerns: The selection and measurement of variables may raise
ethical concerns, especially in studies involving human subjects. For example,
using variables that are related to sensitive topics, such as race or sexuality, may
raise concerns about privacy and discrimination.
Disadvantages of Variables:
 Limited scope: Variables are defined by the researcher, and the scope of the
study is therefore limited by the researcher’s choice of variables.
 Confounding variables: Confounding variables are factors that are not
measured but that affect the relationship between the variables of interest.
Reference:
 https://www.iedunote.com/variables
 https://researchmethod.net/variables-in-research/
 Research Methods: Concepts and Connections (Book by Michael W Passer)
https://g.co/kgs/7Jc3H5
 Research Methods (Book by Donald McBurney)
https://g.co/kgs/q9MwnE