Types of Variables
Types of Variables
Binary variable Obsevations (i.e., dependent variables) that occur in one of two possible states, often labelled zero and one. E.g., “improved/not improved” and “completed task/failed to complete task.”
Categorical Variable Usually an independent or predictor variable that contains values indicating membership in one of several possible categories. E.g., gender (male or female), marital status (married, single, divorced, widowed). The categories are often assigned numerical values used as lables, e.g., 0 = male; 1 = female. Synonym for nominal variable.
Confounding variable A variable that obscures the effects of another variable. If one elementary reading teacher used used a phonics textbook in her class and another instructor used a whole language textbook in his class, and students in the two classes were given achievement tests to see how well they read, the independent variables
(teacher effectiveness and textbooks) would be confounded. There is no way to determine if differences in reading between the two classes were caused by either or both of the independent variables.
Continuous variable A variable that is not restricted to particular values (other than limited by the accuracy of the measuring instrument). E.g., reaction time, neuroticism, IQ.
Equal size intervals on different parts of the scale are assumed, if not demonstrated. Synonym for interval variable.
Control variable An extraneous variable that an investigator does not wish to examine in a study.
Thus the investigator controls this variable. Also called a covariate.
Criterion variable The presumed effect in a nonexperimental study.
Dependent variable The presumed effect in an experimental study. The values of the dependent variable depend upon another variable, the independent variable. Strictly speaking, “dependent variable” should not be used when writing about nonexperimental designs.
Dichotomous variable Synonym for binary variable
Binary variable Obsevations (i.e., dependent variables) that occur in one of two possible states, often labelled zero and one. E.g., “improved/not improved” and “completed task/failed to complete task.”
Categorical Variable Usually an independent or predictor variable that contains values indicating membership in one of several possible categories. E.g., gender (male or female), marital status (married, single, divorced, widowed). The categories are often assigned numerical values used as lables, e.g., 0 = male; 1 = female. Synonym for nominal variable.
Confounding variable A variable that obscures the effects of another variable. If one elementary reading teacher used used a phonics textbook in her class and another instructor used a whole language textbook in his class, and students in the two classes were given achievement tests to see how well they read, the independent variables
(teacher effectiveness and textbooks) would be confounded. There is no way to determine if differences in reading between the two classes were caused by either or both of the independent variables.
Continuous variable A variable that is not restricted to particular values (other than limited by the accuracy of the measuring instrument). E.g., reaction time, neuroticism, IQ.
Equal size intervals on different parts of the scale are assumed, if not demonstrated. Synonym for interval variable.
Control variable An extraneous variable that an investigator does not wish to examine in a study.
Thus the investigator controls this variable. Also called a covariate.
Criterion variable The presumed effect in a nonexperimental study.
Dependent variable The presumed effect in an experimental study. The values of the dependent variable depend upon another variable, the independent variable. Strictly speaking, “dependent variable” should not be used when writing about nonexperimental designs.
Dichotomous variable Synonym for binary variable