This document defines and describes different types of variables that are used in research. It discusses dichotomous, attribute, active, dependent, independent, and extraneous variables. Dichotomous variables have two possible values, attribute variables are pre-existing characteristics like age or gender, and active variables are created by the researcher, like different drug treatments. The independent variable is what is manipulated or tested, while the dependent variable is what is observed and measured in response to changes in the independent variable. Extraneous variables can interfere with the relationship between dependent and independent variables.

1. IDENTIFICATION OF VARIABLES

2. VARIABLES INTRODUCTION
 Variables are qualities, properties, or characteristics of
people, things, or situations that are manipulated or
measured in research
 Variables are measured with instruments or scales

3. VARIABLES
Depression Pain Apathy
Hunger Loneliness Affect
Age Gender Hair Color

4. TYPES OF VARIABLES
1. DICHOTOMOUS VARIABLES.
2. ATTRIBUTE VARIABLE .
3. ACTIVE VARIABLES.
4. DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT VARIABLES .
5. EXTRANEOUS VARIABLE

5. 1. DICHOTOMOUS VARIABLES.
Variables that vary in only two values.
For example:
Male Vs female.
Alive Vs dead.
Day Vs night.

6. 2. ATTRIBUTE VARIABLE OR DEMOGRAPHIC
A pre-existing characteristic or attribute such as age, sex
…etc.
which the researcher simply observes and measures.

7. 3. ACTIVE VARIABLES
Variables that do not pre-exist, so, the researcher has to
create them.
For example:
If the researcher is testing the effectiveness of 4 drugs on
blood pressure, here, all the four drugs are considered
variable that varies among individuals.
Where different ones are taking different drugs: a, b, c or d

8. 4. DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT
VARIABLES
 INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: “Variable that is believed
to cause or influence the dependent variable".
 DEPENDENT VARIABLE: “Variable that is influenced
OR effect by the independent variable".

9. Independent Variable –
something that is changed by the scientist
 What is tested
 What is manipulated
Dependent Variable –
something that might be affected by the change in the independent
variable
 What is observed
 What is measured
 The data collected during the investigation

10. EXAMPLE OF DEPENDENT/INDEPENDENT
VARIABLES
Does Smoking Cause Lung cancer ?
Does Nursing care Cause Rapid recovery ?
Does Drug (a) Cause Improvement ?
Cause Effect
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
DEPENDENT VARIABLE

11. 5. EXTRANEOUS VARIABLE
Variable that confound (mix) the relationship between the dependent and
independent variables, thus it needs to be controlled.
E.g., "air pollution" is an extraneous variable interferes with studying the
relationship between smoking "independent variable" and lung cancer
"dependent variable".