This document defines and provides examples of different types of variables that may be used in research. It discusses independent variables, dependent variables, intervening variables, extraneous variables, active variables, attribute variables, quantitative variables, qualitative variables, continuous variables, discrete variables, constant variables, dichotomous variables, and polytomous variables. The key types are independent variables that influence other variables, dependent variables that are influenced by independent variables, and intervening variables that are inferred but not directly measured.

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Assignment on
“VARIABLES”
Submitted to: Submitted By:
Prof. Sapna Sharma Omprakash Saini
(JECRC University Jaipur) (PhD-Scholar )
Submitted on Date:18-05-2020

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Introduction:
 A variable is a characteristic or feature that varies, or changes
within a study, “Variable” is a term normally used for research
works, the variables are have more than one value such as ,
Age, Intelligence, Motivation, gender, etc.
 “A variable as the name implies is something that varies” it
may be weight, height, anxiety level, income, body
temperature and so on. Each of theses properties varies from
one person to another and also has different values along a
continuum. Also variables are defined as be by different
authors.

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 A variable as “ Rational units of analysis that can assume any
one of a number of designated sets of values. ( Black and
champion).
A variable is a symbol to which numerals or values are
assigned.” (Kerlinger) Example: Weight, energy, intelligence,
driver reaction time, stopping distance, age range, etc.
“TYPE OF VARIABLES”
The variables are majorly classified in three categories , Casual
Model, Study Design, and Unit of Measurement. The are sub
categorized as below flow chart:

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TYPE OF VARIABLES
Casual Model Study Design Unit of Measurement
Independent Variables
Intervening Variables
Extraneous Variables
Dependent Variables
Active Variables
Attribute Variables
Quantitative Variables
Qualitative Variables
Continuous Variables
Discrete Variables
Constants
Variables
Dichotomies
Variables
Polytomous
Variables

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Independent Variables:
Independent variables is a variables that affects the dependent
variables and in itself. It is free of any effects from the dependent
variables. It is the cause for the changes in any phenomenon ,
situation, disease etc.
For example:
I. In testing the cause of juvenile delinquency in a community,
availability of guns can be taken as the cause and hence the
independent variable.
II. “How stress affects mental stats of humans beings” hence
Independent Variable-- Stress, dependent variable--Mental

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stats of Human beings ,you can directly manipulate stress level in
your human subjects and measure how those stress level change
mental states.
Intervening Variable:
It is variable whose existence is inferred but it can not be measured.
Example:
I. Determining the effects of video clip on learning ability of
students of B.SC. The association between video clip and
learning ability of needs to explained. Others variables
intervene such as anxiety fatigue, Motivation, improper diets
etc.

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II. Higher education Typically leads to higher income. Higher
Education-----(Independent variable).----Higher Income
(Dependent Variable). Better occupation ---(Intervening
variable). It is casually affected by education and itself affects
income.
 Extraneous Variables:
Extraneous Variables are undesired variables that influence the
relation ship between the variables as experimenter examining.
Example:
I. An educational psychologist has developed a new learning
strategy and is interested in examining the effectiveness of
strategy.

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The experimenter randomly assigns students into two groups.
All of the students study text materials on a biology topic for 50
minutes. One group use new strategy and other group use a
strategy of their choice. Then all students completes a test with
given study materials. Extraneous variable-----Pre-Knowledge
of the biology topic, as they were have additional knowledge
for biology subjects, so that theses students may better that the
other students.
II If you want to measure the relationship between the students
working hours and exam performances. Student intelligence pay
as a one of the extraneous variables in this study.

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 Dependent variables:
A variable that is observed or measured, and that is influenced or
changed by the independent variable. Dependent variables are also
known as response or output or criterion variable.
Example:
I. As per the study it is find that the level of education affected by
the whether , a person born in U.S or in Foreign country, hence
The independent variable-- Where the person was born and the
Dependent variable is their education level. The education
level depends on where the person was born.

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II. The research where no need to experimental work, there is no
experimental manipulation, hence the independent variable is
‘logically’ has some effect on a dependent variable. For example, in a
study on cigarette-smoking and lung cancer, cigarette-smoking,
which has already been done by many subjects, is the independent
variable.” Lung cancer “depends” on smoking.
 Active Variables:
Active variables are the variables that can be manipulate, changed or
controlled. Theses variables are under controlled of the researcher.
Example:
I. Consider a research project on the effect of water on greenhouse
tomatoes

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The amount of water provided to each tomato is an active variable
because it is controlled by the researcher. In fact, their
manipulation of that variable is the force that drives the experiment.
II Award of prize, giving punishment, creating anxiety, amount of drug
administered are the active variables.
III If the researcher is testing the potency effectiveness of the four
medicine for the disease of cancer, hence all four type medicine are
considered as variables that varies among individuals . Where
different ones are taking different drug : A, B, C, & D

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 Attribute Variables:
These variables are don’t changes during the research study by the
investigator or researcher. It can also be the independent variable, but
it has limitations. Some attribute variables are age, gender, blood
group, color of eyes, etc. they are cannot be changes by the
investigator. We might want to study the effect of age on weight. We
cannot change a person's age, but we can study people of different
ages and weights. Some variables that are attribute can also be
active variables
Example: We can measure the anxiety of subjects. Anxiety is
attribute variable .But we can also manipulate the anxiety by
inducing different degrees of anxiety.

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 Quantitative Variables:
Quantitative variables are numerical, they are represent the
measurable quantity.
Example:
I. When we speak of the population of the city, we are talking
about the number of the peoples in the city, a measurable
attribute of the city therefore population of the city would be
quantitative variables.
II. High school Grade Point Average (e.g. 4.0, 3.2, 2.1).
III. Number of pets owned (e.g. 1, 2, 4).
IV. Bank account balance (e.g. $100, $987, $-42.
V. Number of stars in a galaxy (e.g. 100, 2301, 1 trillion).

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Qualitative Variables:
The variables that are not measurable and they are not result from
Measuring/ Counting/ Numbering, also known categorical variables.
Example:
I. Eye colors (variables include: blue, green, brown, hazel).
II. States (variables include: Florida, New Jersey, Washington).
III. Dog breeds (variables include: Alaskan Malamute, German
Shepherd, Siberian Husky).
IV. Hair color , religion, political party, professing, sex, state of
origin, citizenship.

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Continuous Variables:
Continuous variables would take forever to count. In fact you would
get forever and never finish counting them.
Example:
I. Take age you cannot count age why not because it would
literally take forever you could be 27 years, 12 months, 5 days,
7 Hours, 12 minutes, 9 Seconds, 15 Nanoseconds, 95
picoseconds…….and so on the time is continuous variable.
II. The number of customer complaints or the number of flaws or
defects and the length of a part or the date and time a payment
is received, theses are continuous variables.

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Discrete Variables:
Discrete variables countable finite amount of time. A variable which
can take only certain values. It jumps from one value to another
value , but it will not consider the intermediate value between
two values . Thus the variables can increase in complete number.
Example:
I. The number of students who choose for science in class 11 say
45,55,30,45,45 and 50.
II. The number of sales made in a Day
III. The volume of petrol bought at a store
IV. The number of defective parts.

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Constant Variables:
The variables which are not changed during experiment study, as
they are ideally expected to remain the same they are called constant
variable.
Example:
I. A example of the constant variable is the voltage from a power
supply. If you are examining “how electricity affects
experimental subjects” You should keep the voltage constant,
otherwise the energy supply will be changes as the voltage will
be changes.
II. If you are testing cleaning spray to clean the dust, then you have
to constant the area, time, amount of time between cleanings.

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Dichotomous Variables:
A. Theses variables are nominal variables which have only two
categories or levels.
B. This type of variable are contains precisely two distinct values.
Example:
 Male or Female.
 Heads or Tails.
 Pass or Fail.
 Rich or Poor.
 Democrat or Republican.
 Under age 65 or 65 and over.
 low revenue” and “high revenue.
 Correct or incorrect.

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Polytomous Variables:
A. The variable which are having more than two categories or
multiple values for variables, called Polytomous Variables.
Example:
 Attitudes
 Strongly Favorable
 Favorable
 Unfavorable
 Strongly
 Uncertain
 Political Parties.
 Labor
 Liberal
 Democrat

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 Age
 Child
 Young
 Old
 Religion.
 Hindu
 Muslim
 Sikh
 Buddha
 Catholic
 The Student, faculty member, Administrative staff are
Polytomous Variables.

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