{"id":97751,"date":"2022-09-19T09:25:08","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T07:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.nl\/?p=97751"},"modified":"2023-06-21T14:35:08","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T12:35:08","slug":"types-of-variables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/methodology\/types-of-variables\/","title":{"rendered":"Types of Variables in Research & Statistics | Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"

In statistical research<\/a>, a variable is defined as an attribute of an object of study. Choosing which variables to measure is central to good experimental design<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Example<\/h6>\n

If you want to test whether some plant species are more salt-tolerant than others, some key variables you might measure include the amount of salt<\/strong> you add to the water, the species of plants<\/strong> being studied, and variables related to plant health like growth<\/strong> and wilting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

You need to know which types of variables you are working with in order to choose appropriate statistical tests<\/a> and interpret the results of your study.<\/p>\n

You can usually identify the type of variable by asking two questions:<\/p>\n

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  1. What type of data does the variable contain?<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. What part of the experiment does the variable represent?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Types of data: Quantitative vs categorical variables<\/h2>\n

    Data is a specific measurement of a variable \u2013 it is the value you record in your data sheet. Data is generally divided into two categories:<\/p>\n