Variables are parameters used in a research to describe and measure items been studied. In academic research, variables are needed for quantitative research which aims at getting numeric data. This is opposite for the qualitative research, which does not need numeric data. Hence, we can say that variables are characteristics or properties that can take on different values. They are the major building blocks in academic researches and they allow researchers to measure, analyze data, identify relationships, and draw conclusions. In academic research, variables are the elements, traits, or conditions that can vary or change within an experiment or study. They are important because they allow researchers to measure, observe, and analyze relationships or effects in a study. Variables can be classified into different types, depending on how they are used in research.
Types of Variables
Different researchers opine that there are different types of variables in academic research. But then, there are basically five universally accepted variables which researchers must be familiar with. They include;
Independent variables: An independent variable is a type of variable that other variables cannot change but it has the ability to change other variables. The independent variable is referred to as the cause in the cause-and-effect relationships of research. These are the variables that are manipulated, they are the variables that are measured or observed to see if they change as a result of the independent variables. They are the presumed effects in a study.
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Dependent variable: As the name implies, this is the variable that depends on other variable. It is the type of variable that is been measured in a quantitative research. The dependent variable is the variable that reflects the anticipated outcome of a particular research. Just as the independent variable is known as the cause of a particular effect, the dependent variable is the main effect in the cause-and-effect relationship that determines the outcome. This means that the independent variable can influence the dependent variable but the dependent variable cannot influence the independent variable. For example, suppose we have a research topic thus, “impact of parenting styles on children’s behavior“. Parenting styles is the independent variable because it is the cause that leads to an effect. Hence, children’s behavior is the dependent variable. This is the effect of the parental training they receive.
Control variables: These are variables that are held constant to minimize their influence on the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. For example, in the topic above, we can introduce age as a control variable because most times, children’s behavior are affected by their age. This is why in meting out certain punishment to children age must also be considered. Irrespective of the various parenting styles deployed by many parents, their children’s age cannot be overlooked in terms of their behaviors. The control variables are kept constant throughout the experiment to ensure that any changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable only.
Mediator Variable: The mediating variable is a theoretical variable mostly used by researchers to explain the cause or connection between other variables (dependent and independent). In the example under consideration, we can also say that peer group can affect the behaviors of children irrespective of their parents parenting style. Hence, we say that peer group is a mediating variable in the study. Furthermore, we can say that a mediating variable is a variable that explains the process through which the independent variable affects the dependent variable.
Extraneous Variables: Extraneous variables are variables that are not the focus of the study but if not checkmated, can influence the outcome of the study. For example, suppose we want to carry out a study on students performance on CBT and PPT examinations. If we choose two classes as the control and experimental group, with the control group writing with PPT while the experimental group writing with CBT. If the control group is to write before the experimental group, then we must ensure that the experimental group does no see the questions before their time to write. Else, it will make them prepare better and the result of the research maybe biased or misleading. Therefore, researchers must be able to control or account for these variables to avoid confounding the results.
Conclusion
In order to conduct a good research, the researcher must be able to identify the various types of variables, the variables involved in the study and the role each of those variables play. A good understanding of this will help produce a more accurate research that ends up producing positive outcome. Hence, at the beginning of your research, outline all variables involved and properly place them according to their categories
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