RESEARCH VARIABLES

RESEARCH VARIABLES

1. RESEARCH VARIABLES
Submitted by:
NaoremMonikaDevi
Lecturer
Under the guidance of
Prof. Urmila Devi Bhardwaj
Dean,SNSR
Sharda University
[email protected]

2. Objectives
At the end of the class, students will be able to
-Define variables
-Explain the types of variables.

3. Variables
•Variables are the qualities, properties, or
characteristics of person, things, or situation
that change or vary.
•Measure in the form of qualitative or
quantitative

4. TYPES OFVARIABLES
Variablesareclassifiedbasedontheirnature,
action,andeffectsonthevariables.The
maintypesofthevariablesareasfollows:
1.Independentanddependentvariables
2.Researchvariable
3.Demographicvariables
4.Extraneousvariables

5. 1-Independent and dependent
variables:-
these are two variables which are
interrelated and mainly observed in
correlational, interventional, pre-
experimental, quasi-experimental, and
experimental researchstudies.

6. An independent variable:it is a stimulus or
activity that is manipulated or varied by the
researcher to create the effect on thedependent
variable.
A dependent variable:is the variable a
researcher is interested in. It is the outcome or
response due to the effect of the independent
variables, which researcher wants to predictor
explain.
Ex: smoking cause cancer

7. For example:-‘a quasi-experimental
study on effect of 4-hourly chlorhexidine
mouthwash on prevention of ventilation-
associated pneumonia (VAP) among patient
admitted in selected ICU of DMCH,
Ludhiana,Punjab’.
In this study, 4 hourly chlorhexidine
mouthwashes is an independent variable and
ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) isthe
dependentvariable.

8. 2-Researchvariable:
•In descriptive exploratory, comparative, and qualitative
research studies, variables are observed or measured in
natural setting as they exist, without manipulating or
impossible the effect of intervention or treatment.
•Here no independent variables is manipulated and no
case-effect relationship is examined; these variables are
considered as research variables.
•Ex: knowledge regarding Covid19 prevention

9. Forexample:-‘anexploratorystudyonfactor
contributingtosleepdisturbanceamongpatients
admittedinselectedintensivecareunitsof
AIIMS,newdelhi’.
Inthisresearchstudy,‘factorscontributingto
sleepdisturbance’isaresearchvariable,whichis
observedinnaturalsettingwithoutmanipulating
it.

10. DemographicVariables.
Common demographic variablesare
age, gender, educational status,
religion, social class, marital status,
habitat, occupation, income, and
medical diagnosisetc.

11. Extraneousvariables:-
Extraneousvariables are the factors which are
not the part of the study but may affect the
measurement of the study variables. These
variables are usually recognized and controlled
by researchers in quasi-experimental and
experimental studies; however in other research
studies also the researcher may do so wherever it
is possible. Generally, specific research design
and sample inclusion and exclusion criteria
are used to control the influence ofextraneous
variables.

12. •CONTROLLED VARIABLE (DO NOT WISH TO
INCLUDE IN THE STUDY)
•DISCRETE VARIABLE (FINITE NUMBER OF VALUES,
EX: NO. OF NURSES IN WARD)
•QUALITATIVE VARIABLE (NOT NUMNERICAL
EX:TYPES OF BED, CANNULA COLOR)
-Dichotomous variable(have only 2 categories, Ex: infection
=present/absent)
-Polychotomous variable(have more than 2 categories,
Ex:typesof ICU)

13. •Quantitative variable: numerical or measurable(height,
weight,pulserate)
•Continues variable: infinite values (ex:temperature:99.6 F)
•Outcome variable
•Predictor variable
•Latent variable: abstract variable that Cannot observe directly.
Need to convert to manifested.(ex: cardiovascular disorder)
•Manifest variable: concrete variable that can observed or measure
which indicate the present of latent variable. (ex: increase bp leads
to hypertension)

15. SUMMARY
Today we have discussed about the
variables, types of variables and examples of
each variables. Withoutproperusevariables
research statement cannot be formed
properly.

16. References:
•Sharma SK. Nursing Research & statistics. 2nd
edition. Elsevier publisher.