Book chapters - Identifying variables

10 important questions on Book chapters - Identifying variables

What are measurement scales?

A system of classifying objects, responses, characteristics and attributes into diffferent categories.

These categorisations could be very subjective or objective depending upon the scale used.

In studies that attempt to investigate a causal relationship or association, which 4 sets of variable may operate? 1

  1. Variables that are responsible for bringing about change in a phenomenon, situation or circumstance
  2. outcome variables which are the effects, impacts or consequences of a change variable
  3. Variables which affect or influence the link between cause-and-effect variables
  4. connecting or linking variables, which in certain situations are necessary to complete the relationship between cause-and-effect variables

In studies that attempt to investigate a causal relationship or association, which 4 sets of variable may operate? 2

  1. Independent variables (change)
  2. Dependent variables (outcome/effect)
  3. Extraneous variables (the unmeasured variables affecting the cause-and-effect relationship
  4. Intervening variables (the variables that link a cause-and-effect relationship)
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What is and independent variable?

The cause supposed to be resonsible for bringing about change(s) in a phenomenon or situation.

What is an extraneous variable?

Several other factors operating in a real-life situation may affect or effect changes in the dependent variable. These factors, not measured in the study, may increase or decrease the magnitude or strength of the relationship between independent and dependent variable.

What variables arise from the viewpoint of the study design?

1. Active variables
2. Attribute variables

What is an attribute variable?

Those variable that cannot be measured (it cannot be manipulated, change

What are the two ways of catagorising variables, from the viewpoint of the unit of measurement?

  1. Whetehr the unit of measurement is categorical or continuous
  2. whether it is qualitative or quantitative

What is a polytomous variable?

A variable consisting of more than 2 categories (religion).

What is the ordinal or ranking scale?

The ordinal scale has all the properties of a nominal scale -categorising individuals, objects, responses or a property into subgroups on the basis of a common characteristic - but also ranks the subgroups in a certain order.

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