THE VARIABLE

MARIA LUZ C. MURILLO

RESEARC H TEAC HER
MEANING OF VARIABLE

• A variable is defined as a quantity susceptible of fluctuation or

change in value or magnitude under different conditions.
Numerical values or categories represent these
quantities(Calmorin, 2010)
• A variable is an object, event, idea, feeling, time period, or any
other type of category which can be measured (Kalof, Dan, &
Deits, 2008)
• Variable is a characteristic of a data set

• Attributes are the possible observations or the data

to be processed
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A VARIABLE

According to Uy, Cabautan et al. ,

• They have a prescriptive period/duration when they start and
stop
• They have a pattern such as daily, weekly, and monthly
• They are detailed though the summary is thorough and profound
• There may be dormancy which is the time gap between
measuring dependent and independent variable, because some
things do not take effect right away
TYPES OF VARIABLE

Independent variable
• this is the stimulus variable which is chosen by the researcher to
determine its relationship to an observed phenomenon
• The input variable, is the probable cause of an event
• It is the variable that is controlled by the researcher that can be
manipulated to determine it it will effect change in the dependent
variable.
Dependent Variable
• This is the response variable which is observed and
measured to determine the effect of the independent
variable
• It changes when the independent variable varies.
For example, a study on factors affecting Filipinos’ attitude
towards health food, the dependent variable is Filipinos’
attitude towards health food since it is the subject of the
study.
The possible factors that affect the attitude may be gender,
age, economic status and so on. These are the independent
variables.
LET’S EXAMINE THIS…

A study to determine the effect of work

experience, gender, and age on work
performance.
What are the independent variables?
What is the dependent variable?
LET’S EXAMINE THIS…

A study to establish the effect of certain factors

on test scores of students
What are the independent variables?
What is the dependent variable?
IMPORTANCE BETWEEN DEPENDENT
AND INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
• These variables guide the researchers to pursue their
studies with maximum curiosity
• It drives the research process
• Both variable give the study a focus
• They determine the causes and effects in research,
although not all research are causal related variables it
helps clarify the idea of independent and dependent
variables
 OTHER TYPES OF VARIABLES
(ACCDG TO CALMORIN & CALMORIN, 2010)
• Moderator variable, this is a secondary or special type of
independent variable chosen by the researcher to determine if it
changes or modifies the relationship between the independent
and dependent variables.
• For instance, if an investigator wishes to determine the effects of
the independent variable A on dependent variable B, but
suspects that a third factor C changes or modifies the
relationship between A and B, the C is considered the
moderator
• Control Variable, this is controlled by the investigator in
which the effects can be neutralized by eliminating or
removing the variable.
• Intervening variable, a variable which interferes with the
independent variable and dependent variables, but its
effects can either strengthen or weaken the independent
and dependent variables.
Independent Intervening Dependent
Variables Variables Variables

Pellets
(Feed) Oxygen
5% Salinity Survival Rate
10% Temperature
15% pH

A study on the effect of pellets (5%, 10%, and 15%) as feed upon the survival rate of prawn
cultured in the fishpond.
Independent Intervening Dependent
Variables Variables Variables

Wave
Lantay Method Salinity
Temperature Yield
Hanging Method
Oxygen
pH

A study on the effect of lantay and hanging methods on the yield of Euchema cultured in
Estancia Bay, Iloilo, Philippines
Independent Intervening Dependent
Variables Variables Variables

Age, Gender, civil

Status, Experiences, Research
Academic Rank socio-economic Performances
Status,Values,
Attitudes

A study on the effect of academic rank on the research achievement of professors

ACTIVITY2. FOR EACH OF THE
FOLLOWING SITUATIONS:
a. Identify the independent variable/s
b. Name the dependent variable
c. Give the two attributes of each of the independent
variable.
1. A study on the effect of gender on the academic
performance of students
2. A study on the relation of length of study period and the
grades of the students
3. A study on high school student’s choice of types of movies
4. A study on customers’ satisfaction based on the quality of
food offered in a restaurant
5. A study on whether the choice of type of foot wear differs
between genders
6. A study on the extent to which work efficiency affects
employee retention
7. A study on the relation between age and internet search
engine preference
8. A study on the time required for mice to respond to
different decibels of sound
9. A study on the relationship between average family
income and food expenditure
10. A study on the relation between study habits and
performance of grade 10 students