TERMS USE IN RESEARCH.
A VARIABLE.
• A variable is a measurable characteristic. According to
Leedy (1980) a variable is defined or manipulated in the
research.
• The characteristic of interest that researcher would like to
handle, observe or manipulate in the research; could be
age, sex, intelligence or academic performance. It is,
therefore ,a component of a problem .
• A variable is a type of quantity that may take one more
than one value.
• For example sex is a variable because can be differentiated
by two distinct values, male and female, similarly, level of
education can be differentiated by five distinct values, no
schooling some primary education, some secondary
education , completed secondary education and
university/college education.
,• There are many distinctive kinds of varaible.
• Two of the most important variable are
dependent and independent variable.
• Some research studies are undertaken to
determine whether and to what extent variable
are related. For example you may wish to
determine if there is any relationship between
sales and the amount spent on advertising.
• In such studies the variable presumed to be
course of changes is the amount spent on
advertising.
, Independent variables.
• These are the variables in the relationship that can be
controlled or manipulated.
• In the example above the amount spent on
advertising is the independent variable.
• These are variables whose effect we would like to
establish in the study.
• For instance, your study might be on “factors affecting
the sales of a company”. Hence the factors constitute
the independent. They cause changes of sales in the
company.
A VARIABLE.
• A variable is a measurable characteristic. According to
Leedy (1980) a variable is defined or manipulated in the
research.
• The characteristic of interest that researcher would like to
handle, observe or manipulate in the research; could be
age, sex, intelligence or academic performance. It is,
therefore ,a component of a problem .
• A variable is a type of quantity that may take one more
than one value.
• For example sex is a variable because can be differentiated
by two distinct values, male and female, similarly, level of
education can be differentiated by five distinct values, no
schooling some primary education, some secondary
education , completed secondary education and
university/college education.
,• There are many distinctive kinds of varaible.
• Two of the most important variable are
dependent and independent variable.
• Some research studies are undertaken to
determine whether and to what extent variable
are related. For example you may wish to
determine if there is any relationship between
sales and the amount spent on advertising.
• In such studies the variable presumed to be
course of changes is the amount spent on
advertising.
, Independent variables.
• These are the variables in the relationship that can be
controlled or manipulated.
• In the example above the amount spent on
advertising is the independent variable.
• These are variables whose effect we would like to
establish in the study.
• For instance, your study might be on “factors affecting
the sales of a company”. Hence the factors constitute
the independent. They cause changes of sales in the
company.
