Welcome
Dear students in my Research
Methodology class
VARIABLE AND ITS TYPES
• Barry F. Anderson, ‘A variable is a set of mutually exclusive
properties’.
• P. V. Young, ‘A variable is any quantity or characteristics which may
posses different numerical values.’
• Johan Galtung, ‘ A variable is a set of values that form a
classification.
In general, changeable or inconstant element of an activities are
called variable. Example- height, weight, age etc.
TYPES OF VARIABLE
• Variable can be classified into two
categories.
1.Qualitative variable
2.Quantitative variable
QUALITATIVE VARIABLE
• A variable is called qualitative when it measures qualitative
characteristics on each experimental unit.
• It can not be measured on a natural scale. It produce qualitative data
which can be classified according to different categories.
Example:
1. Gender of a student
2. Quality of a product etc.
QUANTITATIVE VARIABLE
• A variable is called quantitative when it measures a numerical quantity or
amount on each experimental unit.
Example:
1. Daily wage of workers in a factory
2. Height of students in a class
3. Number of children in a family etc. (countable)
4. Daily rainfall in inches in Chittagong during the monsoon. (measurable)
ANOTHER CLASSIFICATION
• On the basis of whether a variable is countable or measurable, it is again
classified as-
1. Discrete variable
2. Continuous variable
• A variable which can take only isolated or countable finite or infinite
number of values is called discrete variable.
• Example:
1. Number of students per semester.
2. Number of red marbles in a jar.
CONTINUOUS VARIABLE
• A variable whose value is obtained by measuring. It can take infinitely
many values in a certain range is called a continuous variable.
• The values of a continuous variable cannot be counted, as they cannot
take any isolated value.
1. Weight of students in a class.
2. Height of salesmen in a shopping complex. .
TYPES ON THE BASIS OF METHOD
1. Independence variable
2. Dependence variable
Definition: ‘Independent variable are causes and dependent variable are
the effects.’
Example:
Hours of study of a student per day (independent)
Obtained number of a student. (dependent)
Because obtained number or marks depend on the hour of study.
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