Independent and Dependent Variables in Research Methodology
The number of variables in your research should not be limited — you can correlate them with the needs of your studies. Two main variables will certainly be present, and these categories are always basic scales included in any experiment.
Independent variable can be compared to an inert gas, which does not react with other gases under normal circumstances — so it remains uninfluenced. In any scientific research, though, this variable specifies what changes and alterations can be made to other variables. All the changed characteristics of the independent variable are conscious and controlled.
Dependent variable is also known as the affected variable. It experiences a secondary influence in the experiment. This is a measured factor that is interconnected with its independent variable. The effect of this alteration is observed, analyzed, and can be recorded.
Samples of Variables
These scales can take place in numerous research styles and analyzed industries. It does not necessarily have a mathematical impact on the result. The outcome is a bunch of consequences, which include both material and ephemeral characteristics. Taking into account that dependent variables are measured, such theoretical notions are displayed from a practical point of view. For example, the scale of anxiety, life satisfaction, activity levels, and eating behavior can be categorized and influenced by certain independent variables. Here are some prominent samples of these variables.
| Examples |
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| ✔️ You plan a study to find out whether a substance is necessary for a healthy rat diet. Whether such a chemical is added or not becomes an independent variable. What is influenced and dependent accordingly is the animal’s health. If you say “yes” to this addition, then your experiment will define what dose is safe and how it impacts its well-being in the long run. |
| ✔️ Everyone says that having rest and good sleep positively influences people’s cognitive abilities and mental health overall. Assuming the student’s sleeping time is an independent variable in the experiment, the task will be to determine how it influences the exam results. The latter is a dependent variable in the calculation, in turn. |
| ✔️ People enjoy having coffee breaks, but a few think about how this habit influences their health. The experiment is held when your coffee consumption as an independent variable impacts your appetite, anxiety level, life satisfaction, and more. All the potential changes with or without a cup of coffee are measured and considered dependent ones. |
| ✔️ If you want to distinguish how efficient the use of online academic paper writing services is for your summer school or college application, you consider the presence/absence of extra tools as an independent phenomenon. Other conditions, including your prospective scores, the scope of work, the project duration, and other aspects, will be dependent ones. |
How to Select the Right Dependent Variable
Do not get us wrong — you have control over the independent parameters of your experiments, not vice versa. Although these variables do change, these modifications are minimal, unlike dependent aspects. As you see from the aforementioned samples, a simple presence or absence of the condition has a huge impact on the analyzed situation or environment. Your observations have to be well-thought-out and accurate to clearly see what behavioral patterns and other phenomena are altered under the influence of one consciously manipulated variable.
Here are some key dos and don’ts that help researchers pick up the most suitable dependents to verify the experiment results.
Operationalism
This ability can be defined as transforming a concept into its embodiment. It simply means what method will be applied to measure a variable. So you should be able to quantify worthy dependent variables. Do not jump to conclusions, and first, try to find a way to measure your phenomenon.
Although anxiety cannot be calculated as separate items, you can define the degree of this feeling, its frequency, etc. You can also browse the internet for scales and ratings that are already professionally researched and established. For instance, that can be a PHQ-9 form or the Maslach Burnout Inventory.
Complexity
Dependent variables may also be selected by a scientist depending upon the sophistication of their investigation. There can be more than one variable of each type, even though various analyses just contain only a pair of these conditions. Scholars may be curious to learn the effects of changing one independent variable on a number of regression models.
Consider a test where the goal is to discover how tidy and untidy rooms influence personality traits like creativity, concentration, anxiety, and more.
Stability
Frequently, it is a positive indicator of the experiment, showing off its sustainable and continuous quality. If you repeat your investigation without changing its independent variable, then the outcome has to be nearly identical to your first, second, and so-on trials.
Independent Variable Levels
Dependent aspects of your research might be harder to catch, but that does not mean independent variables are plain. Since it does not depend on other parameters of your studies yet changes other variables, it is called independent. The type of independent variable you consider the best fit can style your experiment and give a new mood or vibe to it.
Remember!
Unlike other types of variables, subject ones are varied in their nature. These are traits that differ between engaged members of the experiment and are unchangeable by investigators. For instance, social scientists classify crucial topic factors like race, ethnicity, as well as gender identity and age.
Since these are characteristics of pre-existing classes, individuals cannot be assigned to them at random. Alternatively, professionals may develop a comprehensive strategy that compares the results of participants according to their attributes. Since assignments are not provided while leaving things to chance, this approach qualifies as a quasi-experimental one.
What Is DRYMIX?
When you have to record and decode the results of your research, you typically use infographics like charts and tables. In the case of charts, the y-axis will show you the measurements of a target-dependent variable. The x-axis is, therefore, responsible for describing a chosen independent variable.
For beginners, it might be complicated to place all the components of their research briefly and correctly. Given how confusing the distinguished variables are for novice scholars, it is a good idea to memorize the right location with the help of a special acronym:
- D stands for a dependent characteristic;
- R stands for responsible one;
- Y stands for what axis should be home for the aforementioned variable (it is graphed vertically);
- M goes for a changed or manipulated phenomenon;
- I goes for an independent variable;
- X represents an axis to depict the previously highlighted information (it is graphed horizontally).
Several students and others struggle to recall which parameter causes changes and which is under researchers' control. Inserting the labels for the two is the right option here. One of the methods to memorize them is to use them directly in the phrase. It is crucial to follow the logical order because it is the exact same thing that will help students remember them anywhere and upon request. As a result, scientists can determine what is what.
Wrap It Up
Whether you conduct research in mathematics or English studies, it is important to do the job correctly. Thanks to the analyses of independent and dependent variables and understanding their properties, you can get a deeper insight into your experiment and achieve more valuable results.