The document discusses the importance of understanding various types of variables in quantitative research, including independent, dependent, mediating, moderating, and extraneous variables. It explains the roles and relationships between these variables, provides examples, and outlines different measurement levels such as categorical and continuous variables. Researchers are encouraged to be knowledgeable about these variables as they are central to the research process.

1. Variables in Quantitative Research

2. Why is there a
need to
understand the
different
variables in
research?
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3. 1. How do you think our body changes when we eat
nutritious food and exercise regularly?
2. What do you think causes our body to become
unhealthy?
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4. Variables are anything that can be observed
by the researchers. A variable may be a
person, thing, place, situation, or
phenomenon.
Variables in Quantitative Research
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5. Different
Types of
Variables
Variables can be categorized
depending on the level of
measurement and role.
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6. Why is it
important to
understand the
roles of
variables in
research?
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7. Roles of
Variables
Independent and Dependent
Variables
The independent variable, also
called causal variable, is
presumed to cause the change
towards another variable, which is
known as the dependent variable
or the outcome variable.
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8. The independent variable may influence
another variable to change. In experimental
research, independent variables may also be
manipulated to examine the specific effect
they may have toward the dependent variable.
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9. The dependent variables are the variables
that are influenced by the independent
variables.
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10. Example:
1. A researcher is determining the effects of self-
motivation on the productivity of employees.
Independent variable: Self-motivation
Dependent variable: Productivity of employees
How do you think self-motivation can have an effect on
employee productivity?
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11. Example:
2. A researcher is trying to determine the effectiveness of
different coaching styles on volleyball teams.
Independent Variable: Coaching styles
Dependent Variable: Win streak
How do you think the different coaching styles affect the
win streak of volleyball teams?
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12. Mediating Variables
Mediating variables are also known as
intervening variables since they
intervene between the independent
and dependent variables to show
their connection.
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13. Example
A researcher wants to know the effects of working
seven days a week on the employee’s productivity
level.
Independent variable: Seven-day work week
Dependent variable: Productivity level
Mediating variable: Job satisfaction
What do you think makes job satisfaction the mediating
variable?
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A mediating variable may act as a
dependent variable and independent
variable at the same time.

15. Moderating Variables
Moderating variables are
variables that have a strong
conditioned effect, which may
modify the relationship
between the independent and
dependent variables.
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16. Example
A researcher wants to know the effects of exercising
regularly on one’s weight loss.
Independent variable: Regular exercise
Dependent variable: Weight loss
Moderating variable: Gender
What do you think makes gender a moderating variable?
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A mediating variable should act as a
dependent variable with respect to the
independent variable and may also cause
change to the dependent variable, while a
moderating variable must not be directly
affected by the independent variable and
should not result to it in any way.

18. Extraneous Variables
Extraneous variables are variables
that should be mainly excluded from
the research study as they may
interfere and compromise with the
experiment and research results.
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19. Example
A researcher wants to know the effect of how poor
garbage disposal can have an impact on pollution.
Independent variable: Poor garbage disposal
Dependent variable: Pollution
Extraneous variables: Environmental factors;
people
What makes the variables environmental factors and
people extraneous?
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20. Level of
measurement
The measurement level, also called
scales of measure, gives you an
idea of the type of data you have.
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21. ● Level of measurement can be classified into
two: categorical and continuous measures
of variables.
● A categorical variable is further categorized
into nominal and ordinal levels, while a
continuous variable is categorized into
interval and ratio levels.
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22. Categorical Variables
● A nominal variable is any variable that
represents different types of data, which may be
divided into groups or categories. There is no
intrinsic order; hence, its frequencies can only be
counted.
The examples are race, ethnicity, and hair color.
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23. Categorical Variables
● An ordinal variable is any variable that may
also be divided into groups or categories, but it
has intrinsic order or rank. Its frequencies can
be both counted and ranked in which the
distance between categories is not
equivalent.
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Some examples are year of graduation, brands of bags, and food preference.

24. Continuous Variables
● An interval variable is a variable that has a
numerical value. It can be counted and
ranked, and the differences between the
ranked categories are meaningful. There is
no true zero point.
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25. Continuous Variables
For example, you know that the difference or
interval between 25°C and 35°C is the same
between 10°C and 20°C.
Just like in the example, if you say, -6°C, then
that means below freezing point.
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26. Continuous Variables
● A ratio variable is an interval value, but
unlike the interval variable, it has a true
zero. It has numerical value and meaning
which can also be counted, ranked, and has
a meaningful difference between values.
There is a true zero point, which means
that nothing exists for that variable and that
zero simply means none.
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27. Continuous Variables
For example, A person’s weight can be
counted, ranked, or you can determine the
equivalent distance between a person’s weight
with another.
If you say that there is 0 kg, then there is no
weight measured at all or there is no
difference in their weight.
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It is important that as researchers, we are
knowledgeable about our variables because
research mainly revolves around them.

29. Practice
List down as many variables as you can
with the given phenomena:
● Climate change
● Political system in the Philippines
● Low customer retention
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