RESEARCH APTITUDE

What is a variable?
• A variable is any kind of attribute or characteristic that
you are trying to measure, manipulate and control
in statistics and research.
• All studies analyze a variable, which can describe a
person, place, thing or idea.
• A variable's value can change between groups or over
time.
INDEPENDENT VS. DEPENDENT VARIABLES

Independent variables Dependent variables

A variable that stands A variable that relies

alone and isn't on and can be
Definition changed by other changed by other
variables or factors factors that are
that are measured. measured.
Age: Other variables such A grade someone gets on
Independent variables can
as where influence
someone lives,dependent variables,
an exam depends on factors
Examples:
but dependent variables
what theycannot influence
eat or how independent
much such as how much sleep
variables. they exercise are not going they got and how long they
to change their age studied
QUANTITATIVE VS. QUALITATIVE VARIABLES

Quantitative variables Qualitative variables

Data sets that involve Non-numerical values or

Definition
numbers or amounts groupings

Height, distance or
Examples Eye color or dog breed
number of items

Binary, nominal and

Types Discrete and continuous
ordinal
• Discrete: Any numerical variables you can realistically count, such as
the coins in your wallet or the money in your savings account.
• Continuous: Numerical variables that you could never finish counting,
such as time.

• Binary: Variables with only two categories, such as male or female, red
or blue.
• Nominal: Variables you can organize in more than two categories that
do not follow a particular order. Take, for example, housing types:
Single-family home, condominium, tiny home.
• Ordinal: Variables you can organize in more than two categories that
follow a particular order. Take, for example, level of satisfaction:
Unsatisfied, neutral, satisfied.
INTERVENING VS. MODERATING VARIABLES
Intervening variables Moderating variables

A variable that changes the

A theoretical variable used to relationship between dependent
Definition explain a cause or connection and independent variables by
between other study variables strengthening or weakening the
intervening variable's effect
Age: In a study looking at the
Access to health care: If wealth is relationship between economic
the independent variable, and a status (independent variable) and
long life span is a dependent how frequently people get physical
Example variable, a researcher might think exams from a doctor (dependent
that access to quality health care variable), age is a moderating
is the intervening variable that variable. That relationship might be
links wealth and life span. weaker in younger individuals and
stronger in older individuals.
EXTRANEOUS VS. CONFOUNDING VARIABLES

Extraneous variables Confounding variables

Factors that affect the dependent Extra variables that the

variable but that the researcher did researcher did not account for
Definition not originally consider when designing that can disguise another
the experiment. variable's effects and show
false correlations.
In a study of whether a particular genre
Parental support, prior knowledge of a
of movie affects how much candy kids
foreign language or socioeconomic status eat, with experiments are held at 9
are extraneous variables that could a.m., noon and 3 p.m. Time could be a
Example influence a study assessing whether confounding variable, as the group in
private tutoring or online courses are the noon study might be hungrier and
more effective at improving students' therefore eat more candy because
lunchtime is typically at noon.
Spanish test scores.
• An extraneous variable is anything that could influence
the dependent variable.
• These unwanted variables can unintentionally change a
study's results or how a researcher interprets those results.
• A confounding variable influences the dependent
variable, and also correlates with or causally affects the
independent variable.
• Confounding variables can invalidate your experiment
results by making them biased or suggesting a relationship
between variables exists when it does not.
 Control variables Complex variables

Characteristics that are constant and do Two or more variables

Definition not change during a study combined to make a more
complex variable
In an experiment about plant Overall health is an example of
development, control variables might a composite variable if a
include the amounts of fertilizer and researcher uses other variables,
water each plant gets. These amounts such as genetics, medical care,
Example
are always the same so that they do not education, quality of
affect the plants' growth. environment and chosen
behaviors, to determine overall
health in an experiment.
Hypothesis

• A hypothesis is an assumption that is made based on some

evidence.
• This is the initial point of any investigation that translates the
research questions into predictions.
• It includes components like variables, population and the
relation between the variables.
• A research hypothesis is a hypothesis that is used to test the
relationship between two or more variables.
Characteristics of Hypothesis
• The hypothesis should be clear and precise to consider it to be
reliable.
• If the hypothesis is a relational hypothesis, then it should be
stating the relationship between variables.
• The hypothesis must be specific and should have scope for
conducting more tests.
• The way of explanation of the hypothesis must be very simple
and it should also be understood that the simplicity of the
hypothesis is not related to its significance
 Types of Hypothesis
There are six forms of hypothesis and they are:
1. Simple hypothesis
2. Complex hypothesis
3. Directional hypothesis
4. Non-directional hypothesis
5. Null hypothesis
6. Associative and casual hypothesis
Simple Hypothesis
• It shows a relationship between one dependent variable and a single
independent variable.
• For example – If you eat more vegetables, you will lose weight faster.
• Here, eating more vegetables is an independent variable, while losing
weight is the dependent variable.
Complex Hypothesis
• It shows the relationship between two or more dependent variables
and two or more independent variables.
• Eating more vegetables and fruits leads to weight loss, glowing skin,
and reduces the risk of many diseases such as heart disease.
Directional Hypothesis
• It shows how a researcher is intellectual and committed to a particular
outcome.
• The relationship between the variables can also predict its nature.

• For example- children aged four years eating proper food over a five-year
period are having higher IQ levels than children not having a proper meal.
• This shows the effect and direction of the effect.

Non-directional Hypothesis
• It is used when there is no theory involved.

• It is a statement that a relationship exists between two variables, without

predicting the exact nature (direction) of the relationship.
• E.g.: A student's grade will change as the amount of study time increases
Null Hypothesis
• It provides a statement which is contrary to the hypothesis.
• It’s a negative statement, and there is no relationship between
independent and dependent variables.
• The symbol is denoted by “HO”.
• E.g.: If a medicine reduces the risk of cardiac stroke, then the null
hypothesis should be “the medicine does not reduce the chance of
cardiac stroke
Associative and Causal Hypothesis
• Associative hypothesis occurs when there is a change in one variable
resulting in a change in the other variable.
• Whereas, the causal hypothesis proposes a cause and effect
interaction between two or more variables.