In a descriptive study, the researcher would examine how diabetes (a variable) is related to a person's genetic heritage (another variable).ĭefinition: A variable is either a result of some force or it is the force that causes a change in another variable. For example, there is more diabetes in people of Native American heritage than people who come from Eastern Europe. However, in descriptive studies, variables are not discussed using the terms "independent" or "dependent." Instead, the names of the variables are used when discussing the study. In a way, all the variables in descriptive studies are dependent variables because they are studied in relation to all the other variables that exist in the setting where the research is taking place. They are observed as they naturally occur and then associations between variables are studied. Therefore, in experiments, a researcher manipulates an independent variable to determine if it causes a change in the dependent variable.Īs we learned earlier in a descriptive study, variables are not manipulated. This could be many things depending upon what the medication is for, such as high blood pressure or muscle pain. Each person's response to the active medication or placebo is called the dependent variable. When a researcher gives an active medication to one group of people and a placebo, or inactive medication, to another group of people, the independent variable is the medication treatment. In experiments, these are called dependent and independent variables respectively.
Variables are names that are given to the variance we wish to explain.Ī variable is either a result of some force or is itself the force that causes a change in another variable. Variance is simply the difference that is, variation that occurs naturally in the world or change that we create as a result of a manipulation. The purpose of all research is to describe and explain variance in the world.
0 kommentar(er)
