Types of Variable

Section: Types of Variable

  • Independent Variables (IV): These are the factors that are deliberately changed or manipulated in an experiment to measure their effect on the dependent variable. This manipulation allows researchers to ascertain if changes made to the IV will result in changes in the DV.

  • Dependent Variables (DV): These are the factors measured in an experiment. The researcher looks at how the DV changes when alterations are made to the IV, providing insight into the relationship between the two.

  • Extraneous Variables: These are additional variables that are not of interest to the researcher but can interfere with the relationship between the IV and DV. They can introduce unwanted variation and potentially impact the results of an experiment. Examples could include participant mood, temperature, or time of day.

  • Confounding Variables: These are a type of extraneous variable which can influence the results of an experiment, making it difficult to determine if changes in the DV were due to manipulation of the IV or due to the confounding variable.

  • Controlled Variables: These are factors that are kept consistent throughout an experiment to ensure they do not impact the relationship between the IV and DV. By maintaining these factors, researchers can be more confident that alterations in the DV are due to manipulations of the IV.

  • Discrete Variables: These are variables that can only take on certain values and often fall into distinct categories or classes. For example, gender, nationality, hair color, etc.

  • Continuous Variables: These are variables that can take on any value within a defined range. Examples could include age, height, weight, etc. They tend to be measured on a scale or range and can have almost any numeric value.

Review these different variables and practice identifying each type in different experimental scenarios to achieve a thorough understanding.

Remember to always think critically and question which variables may be affecting the observed results in any psychological study.