PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

Lesson 3: Kinds of Variables and Their Uses

 Objectives
After going through this lesson,
students are expected to
differentiate the kinds of
variables and their uses.
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. What kind of variable is measured using 2 different
values?
a. Binary
b. Dichotomous
c. Binomial
d. All of these
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
2. "Students taught first aid by programmed
instruction will achieve at a higher level than
those taught first aid by the traditional method."
The independent variable in this hypothesis is:
a. Students
b. level of achievement
c. programmed instruction
d. method of instruction
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
"Students taught first aid by programmed instruction will
achieve at a higher level than those taught first aid by the
traditional method."
3. In the example in question 2, the dependent variable is:
a. Students
b. level of achievement
c. programmed instruction
d. method of instruction
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
4. A cross-sectional study is carried out to examine whether Navy personnel
of a higher rank have more positive coping skills than those of a lower rank.
Which of the following statement is true of this study?
a. The independent variable is coping and the dependent variable is low
rank.
b. The independent variable is rank and the dependent variable is coping
skills.
c. Neither variable is dependent as the researcher cannot manipulate
them.
d. The independent variable is coping and the dependent variable is high
rank.
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
5. In an experimental design, the dependent variable is:
a. The one that is not manipulated and in which any
changes are observed
b. The one that is manipulated to observe any effects
on the other
c. A measure of the extent to which personal values
affect research
d. An ambiguous concept whose meaning depends on
how it is defined
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.

6. A variable that is presumed to cause a

change in another variable is called:
a. intervening variable
b. independent variable
c. dependent variable
d. numerical variable
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.

7. What sort of data are zip code?

a. Nominal
b. Interval
c. ratio
d. ordinal
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.

8. What sort of data is socio-economic

status?
a. Ratio
b. ordinal
c. interval
d. nominal
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
9. In a study, “Effectiveness of Exposing Students
in classical Music in Reading”, Exposing students
in Classical music is _________.
a. dependent
b. confounding
c. intervening
d. independent
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
10. What sort of variable is dress size?
a. Nominal
b. Interval
c. ratio
d. ordinal
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
11. A mediator or intervening variable is:
a. responsible for the relationship between two
other variables.
b. another name for the dependent variable.
c. another name for the independent variable.
d. All of the above
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
12. A research study on the teacher’s performance-related
salary increases motivation which in turn leads to an
increase in job satisfaction. What kind of variable is
‘motivation”’ in this study?
a. Dependent
b. Intervening
c. Confounding
d. Control
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
13. Which of the following can be described as a nominal
variable?
a. Annual income
b. Age
c. Annual sale
d. Geographical location
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
14. The key defining characteristic of
experimental research is that:
a. The independent variable is manipulated
b. Hypothesis are proved
c. A positive correlation exists
d. Samples are large
What I Know
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.
15. In an experiment, the group that does not
receive the intervention is called:
a. The experiment group
b. The control group
c. The participant group
d. The treatment group
 Kinds of Variables and Their Uses

A variable is a characteristic of an individual or

organization that can be observed and measure, and it
can vary among people or organizations being studied
(Creswell, 2002). It comes from the root word “vary” or
simply “can change”.
 Kinds of Variables and Their Uses

Bernard (1994) defines variables as something that

can take more than one value, and values can be
words or numbers. The most common variables in
social research are age, sex, gender, education,
income, marital status, and education.
 Kinds of Variables and Their Uses

Other experts define a variable as any entity that can

take on different values. Simply stated, anything that
can vary can be considered a variable.
An attribute, on the other hand, is a specific value on a
variable.
 Kinds of Variables and Their Uses

For instance:
- the variable sex has two attributes: male and female.
- The variable income has an attribute of 5,000 per
month, 10,000 per month, 15,000 per month, and so on.
 Kinds of Variables and Their Uses

Remember!

Variables should have at least 2 attributes otherwise it

is constant.
 Types of Variables

Nominal Interval
Variable Variable

Ordinal Ratio
Variable Variable
 Types of Variables

Nominal represent categories that cannot be

Variable ordered in any particular way.

Examples:
- Biological Sex (Male/Female) - Political Affiliation
- Blood Type - Zip code
- Race - Eye Color
- Political Party - Religion
 Types of Variables

Ordinal represent categories that can be

Variable ordered from greatest to smallest.

Examples:

- Grade level - Socio-economic status

- Satisfaction rating - Rank
 Types of Variables

Interval have values that lie along an evenly

Variable dispersed range of numbers.

Examples:

- Employee’s net worth - Body Temperature

- pH level - SAT score (200-500)
 Types of Variables
have variables that lie along the evenly
dispersed range of numbers when there is
Ratio an absolute zero. It possesses the
Variable properties of the interval variable and
has a clear definition of zero.

Examples:
- dose amount - reaction rate, flow rate
- concentration - pulse rate
- weight - length
- distance
 Kinds of Variables

Intervening/
Independent
Mediating
Variable
Variable

Dependent Control
Variable Variable
 Types of Variables
those that probably cause, influence,
or affect outcomes. They are
Independent invariably called treatment,
Variable manipulated, antecedent, or predictor
variables.

Examples:
A study on the relationship of parental support and academic performance
of Senior High School students in Narra National High School.
PARENTAL SUPPORT is the independent variable because it influenced
the outcome or the performance of the students.
 Types of Variables
those that depend on the
Dependent independent variables; they are the
Variable outcomes or results on the
influence of the independent
variable.
Examples:
A study on the relationship of parental support and academic performance
of Senior High School students in Narra National High School.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE is the dependent variable because it is the
result of the influence of parental support.
 Types of Variables
“stand between” the independent and
Intervening/ dependent variables, and they show
Mediating the effects of the independent variable
Variable
on the dependent variable.
 Types of Variables

Intervening/
Mediating
Variable
 Types of Variables
special types of independent variables that
are measured in a study because they
Control potentially influence the dependent variable.
Variable Researchers use statistical procedures (e.g.
analysis of covariance) to control these
variables. They may be demographic or
personal variables that need to be “controlled”
so that the true influence of the independent
variable on the dependent can be determined.
In an experiment, it is the variable that is held
constant.
 Types of Variables

Control
Variable

Examples:
In a study, “Determining the Effects of Exposure to Different Colored Lights
on the Growth of the Plant”, the control variables are the type of plant,
the amount of soil, and the amount of water given to the plants. These
variables are controlled so that the plant growth can be attributed with
certainty to exposure to different colored lights.
 Types of Variables According to their Nature

Variable

Quantitative Qualitative
(Numerical) (Categorical)

Discreet Continuous Nominal Ordinal Dichotomous

 Quantitative Variables
also called numerical variables are the type of variables used
in quantitative research because they are numeric and can
be measured. Under this category are discrete and continuous
variables.

are countable whole numbers. It does not take negative values

A. Discreet Variables
or values between fixed points.
For example: number of students in a class, group size and
frequency.

B. Continuous take fractional (non-whole number) values that can either be a

Variables positive or a negative.
Example: height, temperature.
 Levels of Measurement
Numerical data have two levels of measurement, namely:
are quantitative variables where the interval or differences
A. Interval between consecutive values are equal and meaningful but the
numbers are arbitrary.
For example, the difference between 36 degrees and 37 degrees is
the same as between 100 degrees and 101 degrees. The zero
point does not suggest the absence of a property being measured.
Temperature at 0 degree Celsius is assigned as the melting point
of ice. Other examples of interval data would be year and IQ score.

B. Ratio type of data is similar to interval, the only difference is the

presence of a true zero value. The zero point in this scale
indicates the absence of the quantity being measured.
Examples are age, height, weight and distance.
 Qualitative Variables
are also referred to as Categorical Variables are not
expressed in numbers but are descriptions or categories. It
can be further divided into nominal, ordinal or dichotomous.

are consisting of only two distinct categories or values.

A. Dichotomous
For example, a response to a question either be a yes or no.

B. Nominal simply defines groups of subjects. Here you may have more than 2
Variable categories of equivalent magnitude. For example, a basketball
player’s number is used to distinguish him from other players. It
certainly does not follow that player 10 is better than player 8. Other
examples are blood type, hair color and mode of transportation.
 Qualitative Variables
are also referred to as Categorical Variables are not
expressed in numbers but are descriptions or categories. It
can be further divided into nominal, ordinal or dichotomous.

C. Ordinal from the name itself denotes that a variable is ranked in a certain
Variable order. This variable can have a qualitative or quantitative attribute.
For example, a survey questionnaire may have a numerical rating as
choices like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ranked accordingly (5=highest, 1=lowest) or
categorical rating like strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and
strongly disagree. Other examples or ordinal variable: cancer stage
(Stage I, Stage II, Stage III), Spotify Top 20 hits, academic honors
(with highest, with high, with honors)
What’s In: It Varies!
Directions: Study the following research cases. Identify the independent
and dependent variables for each of the following research cases by writing
your answers on the table provided for:

Case 1:
To determine whether a diet of blueberries have an effect on aging, an
experiment involving 19-month-old rats was undertaken. In this study, one
group of rats was fed with their standard diet while the other three groups
were fed with a diet supplemented with blueberry, strawberry, or spinach
powder, respectively. After eight weeks, the rats were given a memory test
and motor skills test.
What’s In: It Varies!
Directions: Study the following research cases. Identify the independent
and dependent variables for each of the following research cases by writing
your answers on the table provided for:

Case 2:
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), if given in mega doses, is known to reduce the
occurrences of cancer cells. To test this hypothesis, patients with known
cancers were given megadoses of vitamin C for 12 weeks. After twelve
weeks, screening tests were done to determine the decrease of cancer
cells.
What’s In: It Varies!
Directions: Study the following research cases. Identify the independent
and dependent variables for each of the following research cases by writing
your answers on the table provided for:

Case 3:
Lucy is an owner of a fusion accessories store. She surveyed her
customers on their preferences for accessories on a headband. Thus, Lucy
would stock up on ribbons because this will determine the number of
headbands with ribbons that she can sell.
What’s In: It Varies!
Directions: Study the following research cases. Identify the independent
and dependent variables for each of the following research cases by writing
your answers on the table provided for:

Case No. 1 Independent Variable Dependent Variable

3
What’s More: It Varies!
Directions: Answer the following questions below:
1. Distinguish independent from dependent variables in your research title.
Research Title:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Independent Variable:
____________________________________________________________
Dependent Variable:
____________________________________________________________
What’s More: It Varies!
Directions: Answer the following questions below:
2-3. Which of the two is an independent variable?
A.Students undergo blended learning in English subject.
B.Students who undergo blended learning have improved grades in an
English subject.
Explain your answer in a complete sentence.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What’s More: It Varies!
Directions: Answer the following questions below:
4-5. Which of the two is the dependent variable?
A. A considerable number of consumers use the twin pack in a 3 in 1
coffee product.
B. A leading coffee manufacturer introduces a twin pack in a 3 in 1
coffee product.
Explain your answer in a complete sentence.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
What I Have Learned
Directions: Identify the level of measurement involved in the following
research situations. Use the following codes:

A – Nominal B – Ordinal C – Interval D – Ratio

___________1. The Top 10 songs for the week.

___________2. A fashion designer shares the top 10 most
famous fashion statement for the year.
__________3. Mrs. Gabayeron, STEM 11 adviser surveys
her students’ health status whether it is normal, overweight,
obese, wasted, or severely wasted.
What I Have Learned
Directions: Identify the level of measurement involved in the following
research situations. Use the following codes:

A – Nominal B – Ordinal C – Interval D – Ratio

__________4. Ms. Rea, the Doctor’s secretary determines

the weight of the baby being brought to the clinic for
treatment.
__________5. A student wants to determine the average of
the correct answers that he got from the last practical
research 2 quiz.
What I Have Learned
Directions: Identify the level of measurement involved in the following
research situations. Use the following codes:

A – Nominal B – Ordinal C – Interval D – Ratio

__________6. A researcher wants to find out the number of

hours that the Senior High School TVL students spent in
using social media.
__________7. A veterinary assistant records the breeds of
dogs that are being brought for treatment in the veterinary
clinic.
What I Have Learned
Directions: Identify the level of measurement involved in the following
research situations. Use the following codes:

A – Nominal B – Ordinal C – Interval D – Ratio

__________8. You would like to find out the number of

minutes it takes for each member of the class from their
respective house to the school.
_________9. A teacher asks the class on the degree of
difficulty (easy, moderate, or difficult) they experienced in
their last periodic examination in mathematics.
What I Have Learned
Directions: Identify the level of measurement involved in the following
research situations. Use the following codes:

A – Nominal B – Ordinal C – Interval D – Ratio

_________10. A geoscientist from the Philippine

Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA) determines the daily temperature
for June.
What’s More: Classifying Variables
Directions: Identify the following variable as either qualitative or quantitative.
Then classify which specific category they belong.
Date Type of Variable Classification
Ex. Number of eggs laid by chickens Quantitative Discrete, interval

1. Amount of fertilizer given to plants

2. Weight of Pechay harvested (in
grams)
3. Speed of car
4. Tomato plant variety
5. Color of alcohol packaging (blue,
orange, white, pink)
What’s More: Classifying Variables
Directions: Identify the following variable as either qualitative or quantitative.
Then classify which specific category they belong.

Date Type of Variable Classification

6. Educational level of parents (high
school grad, college grad, MS, PhD)
7. Online seller satisfaction rating (1-5
stars)
8. Cellphone brand
9. Number of Covid-19 positive cases
10. Type of music
What’s More: Classifying Variables
Directions: Identify the following variable as either qualitative or quantitative.
Then classify which specific category they belong.

Date Type of Classification

Variable
11. Number of passengers in a PUJ

12. Socio-economic status

13. Gender
14. Temperature in Fahrenheit
15. Civil Status
 “Research means that you
don’t know, but are willing to
find out”

Charles F. Kettering