What are measurable variables in research?
The measurable variable, as the name suggests, is the variable that is measured in an experiment. It is the dependent variable (DV), which depends on changes to the independent variable (IV). Any experiment studies the effects on the DV resulting from changes to the IV.
What are examples of variables in a research study?
Categorical variables
| Type of variable | What does the data represent? | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal variables | Groups with no rank or order between them. | Species names Colors Brands |
| Ordinal variables | Groups that are ranked in a specific order. | Finishing place in a race Rating scale responses in a survey* |
What are measured variables?
A measurement variable is an unknown attribute that measures a particular entity and can take one or more values. It is commonly used for scientific research purposes. Unlike in mathematics, measurement variables can not only take quantitative values but can also take qualitative values in statistics.
How do we measure variable in research?
You can see that one way to look at variables is to divide them into four different categories ( nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio). These refer to the levels of measure associated with the variables. In everyday usage the convention is to then use the level of measure to refer to the kind of variable.
Why do we measure variables in research?
Understanding the level of measurement of variables used in research is important because the level of measurement determines the types of statistical analyses that can be conducted. The conclusions that can be drawn from research depend on the statistical analysis used.
What is a ordinal measurement?
Ordinal scale is the 2nd level of measurement that reports the ranking and ordering of the data without actually establishing the degree of variation between them. Ordinal level of measurement is the second of the four measurement scales. “Ordinal” indicates “order”.
What is a nominal scale of measurement?
A nominal scale is a scale of measurement used to assign events or objects into discrete categories. Often regarded as the most basic form of measurement, nominal scales are used to categorize and analyze data in many disciplines.
What are types of scale?
The four types of scales are:
- Nominal Scale.
- Ordinal Scale.
- Interval Scale.
- Ratio Scale.