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Statistics How To: What Is An Attribute Variable? 1. Usage in Software 2. Usage in Experimental Design

what is attribute variables

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123 views

Statistics How To: What Is An Attribute Variable? 1. Usage in Software 2. Usage in Experimental Design

what is attribute variables

Uploaded by

Riz Fahan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Attribute Variable / Passive Variable: Definition, Examples


Types of Variables >

What is an Attribute Variable?


The term “attribute variable” can refer to either an input variable used in statistical software or a manipulated variable used in design of experiments.

1. Usage in Software
Some statistical software packages (like Statistica and Minitab) use “attribute variable” as an alternate name for categorical variables.

2. Usage in Experimental Design


An attribute variable (sometimes called a passive variable) is a type of variable that is manipulated in experiments. An attribute variable could be a
variable that is a fixed attribute like sex, race, or gender; These variables cannot be changed or manipulated by the researcher as they are an inherent part
of a person or object. Or, attribute variables can also be variables that aren’t manipulated by the researcher for a particular experiment (but theoretically,
they could be for a different experiment).

The opposite of an attribute variable is an active variable , which is manipulated in an experiment.

Although the definition of an attribute variable includes that the variable is “manipulated”, these variables are not the same thing as independent variables. In
fact, the nuances of the definition are very subtle, which can lead to confusion. A few examples should make the definition clear:

Examples of Independent and Dependent Attribute Variables


Attribute variables and active variables can be independent variables or dependent variables.

Example 1: Let’s say you are investigating whether there is a link between taking Vitamin C and preventing illness. Vitamin C is the independent variable,
and you run an experiment with an experimental group (who are given Vitamin C) and a control group (who are given a placebo). You are manipulating the
Vitamin C, so it is an active independent variable.

Example 2: A retrospective study investigates the Vitamin C/illness link. Patients at an urgent care clinic are divided into two groups — those who took
Vitamin C and those who did not. Vitamin C is still the independent variable, but as it’s not being manipulated it’s an attribute independent variable.

Example 3: A researcher wishes to measure how well two teaching styles affect students’ performance on tests. How well the learners perform is not only
dependent on teaching style, but on a whole array of attribute variables like socioeconomic status, learning disability, or amount of sleep the students got
the night before. These variables, which affect the outcome in some way and are pre-existing conditions not manipulated by the researcher, are attribute
dependent variables.

Example 4: In the above teaching style example, researchers “prescribe” an amount of sleep: 5 hours, 7 hours, or 9 hours. As this dependent variable is
being manipulated, it’s an active dependent variable .

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Attribute Variable / Passive Variable: Definition, Examples was last modified: April 6th, 2017 by Andale
By Andale | April 6, 2017 | Statistics How To | No Comments |

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