It is a characteristic, or attribute of an individual or an organization that can be measured or observed and that varies among the people or organization being studied (Creswell, 2002). Nominal variables It represent categories that cannot be ordered in any particular way. Example: biological sex (males, females) ; political affiliation; academic affiliation ORDINAL variables It represent categories that can be ordered from greatest to smallest or vice versa. Examples: education level (grade 7, grade 8, etc.) Interval variables These have values that lie along an evenly dispersed range of numbers. Examples: temperature, a person’s net worth ratio variables These have values that lie along an evenly dispersed range of numbers when there is an absolute zero, as opposed to net worth, which can have a negative debt-to-income ratio-level variable. Most scores stemming from response to survey items are ratio-level values because they have typically cannot go below zero.

2. DEFINITION OF VARIABLE
•It is a characteristic, or attribute of an individual or an
organization that can be measured or observed and that
varies among the people or organization being studied
(Creswell, 2002).

3. THE NATURE OF VARIABLES AND DATA
NOMINAL VARIABLES
It represent categories that cannot be ordered in any
particular way.
Example: biological sex (males, females) ; political affiliation;
academic affiliation

4. THE NATURE OF VARIABLES AND DATA
ORDINAL VARIABLES
It represent categories that can be ordered from greatest to
smallest or vice versa.
Examples: education level (grade 7, grade 8, etc.)

5. THE NATURE OF VARIABLES AND DATA
INTERVAL VARIABLES
These have values that lie along an evenly dispersed range of
numbers.
Examples: temperature, a person’s net worth

6. THE NATURE OF VARIABLES AND DATA
RATIO VARIABLES
These have values that lie along an evenly dispersed range of
numbers when there is an absolute zero, as opposed to net worth,
which can have a negative debt-to-income ratio-level variable.
Most scores stemming from response to survey items are ratio-
level values because they have typically cannot go below zero.

7. KINDS OF VARIABLES
•INDEPENDENT VARIABLES – those that probably cause, influence,
or affect outcomes. they are invariably called treatment,
manipulated, antecedent, or predictor variables.
•DEPENDENT VARIABLES – those that depend on the independent
variables; they are the outcomes or results of the influence of
the independent variable.

8. KINDS OF VARIABLES
•INTERVENING OR MEDIATING VARIABLES- these variables stand between the
independent variables and dependent variable, they show the effects of the
independent variable on the independent variable.
•CONTROL VARIABLES – special types of independent variables that are
measured in a study because they potentially influence the dependent
variable. Researchers use statistical procedures to control these variables;
the purpose is to determine truly the influence of the independent variable
to the dependent variable.

9. KINDS OF VARIABLES
•DISCRETE VARIABLES – VARIABLES THAT ASSUME SPECIFIC VALUES THAT
YOU CANNOT SUBDIVIDE. TYPICALLY, YOU COUNT DISCRETE VALUES, AND THE
RESULTS ARE INTEGERS.
•CONTINUOUS VARIABLES – VARIABLES THAT CAN ASSUME ANY NUMERIC
VALUE AND CAN BE MEANINGFULLY SPLIT INTO SMALLER PARTS. THEY HAVE
VALID FRACTIONAL AND DECIMAL VALUES, AN INFINITE NUMBER OF
POTENTIAL VALUES BETWEEN ANY TWO POINTS.