research variables worksheet

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Independent & Dependent Variables Practice

I have found my students have a great deal of difficulty with the concept of independent and dependent variables. Newer textbooks call these variables “manipulated and responding” but that still doesn’t seem to make it easier.

We practice these scenarios in class and do multiple labs to learn the concepts. Often they are just simple labs that can be done in a short class period. Like this lab on heat storage .

I designed this worksheet as a way to get students to quickly identify the variables in an experiment. Each scenario is only a couple sentence long, such as ” One grape is placed in tap water and another grape is placed in salt water.”

In the chart, students would identify the independent variable as the type of water. Then, identify what responded. In this case, the mass of the grape after a day.

The worksheet design is simple. It’s a quick way to practice variables, but not other aspects of the scientific method. If you want a more robust worksheet on the scientific method, check out “ Early Discoveries in Science .” Students identify variables as well as draw conclusions from observations.

For differentiation, I also have a simpler version (low level) of the worksheet that gives multiple choice options. This version may also be useful for test preparation with other groups.

Grade Level: 8-10 Time Required: 15-20 minutes

Shannan Muskopf

Research Variables 101

Independent variables, dependent variables, control variables and more

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Kerryn Warren (PhD) | January 2023

If you’re new to the world of research, especially scientific research, you’re bound to run into the concept of variables , sooner or later. If you’re feeling a little confused, don’t worry – you’re not the only one! Independent variables, dependent variables, confounding variables – it’s a lot of jargon. In this post, we’ll unpack the terminology surrounding research variables using straightforward language and loads of examples .

Overview: Variables In Research

What (exactly) is a variable.

The simplest way to understand a variable is as any characteristic or attribute that can experience change or vary over time or context – hence the name “variable”. For example, the dosage of a particular medicine could be classified as a variable, as the amount can vary (i.e., a higher dose or a lower dose). Similarly, gender, age or ethnicity could be considered demographic variables, because each person varies in these respects.

Within research, especially scientific research, variables form the foundation of studies, as researchers are often interested in how one variable impacts another, and the relationships between different variables. For example:

• How someone’s age impacts their sleep quality
• How different teaching methods impact learning outcomes
• How diet impacts weight (gain or loss)

As you can see, variables are often used to explain relationships between different elements and phenomena. In scientific studies, especially experimental studies, the objective is often to understand the causal relationships between variables. In other words, the role of cause and effect between variables. This is achieved by manipulating certain variables while controlling others – and then observing the outcome. But, we’ll get into that a little later…

The “Big 3” Variables

Variables can be a little intimidating for new researchers because there are a wide variety of variables, and oftentimes, there are multiple labels for the same thing. To lay a firm foundation, we’ll first look at the three main types of variables, namely:

• Independent variables (IV)
• Dependant variables (DV)
• Control variables

What is an independent variable?

Simply put, the independent variable is the “ cause ” in the relationship between two (or more) variables. In other words, when the independent variable changes, it has an impact on another variable.

For example:

• Increasing the dosage of a medication (Variable A) could result in better (or worse) health outcomes for a patient (Variable B)
• Changing a teaching method (Variable A) could impact the test scores that students earn in a standardised test (Variable B)
• Varying one’s diet (Variable A) could result in weight loss or gain (Variable B).

It’s useful to know that independent variables can go by a few different names, including, explanatory variables (because they explain an event or outcome) and predictor variables (because they predict the value of another variable). Terminology aside though, the most important takeaway is that independent variables are assumed to be the “cause” in any cause-effect relationship. As you can imagine, these types of variables are of major interest to researchers, as many studies seek to understand the causal factors behind a phenomenon.

Need a helping hand?

What is a dependent variable?

While the independent variable is the “ cause ”, the dependent variable is the “ effect ” – or rather, the affected variable . In other words, the dependent variable is the variable that is assumed to change as a result of a change in the independent variable.

Keeping with the previous example, let’s look at some dependent variables in action:

• Health outcomes (DV) could be impacted by dosage changes of a medication (IV)
• Students’ scores (DV) could be impacted by teaching methods (IV)
• Weight gain or loss (DV) could be impacted by diet (IV)

In scientific studies, researchers will typically pay very close attention to the dependent variable (or variables), carefully measuring any changes in response to hypothesised independent variables. This can be tricky in practice, as it’s not always easy to reliably measure specific phenomena or outcomes – or to be certain that the actual cause of the change is in fact the independent variable.

As the adage goes, correlation is not causation . In other words, just because two variables have a relationship doesn’t mean that it’s a causal relationship – they may just happen to vary together. For example, you could find a correlation between the number of people who own a certain brand of car and the number of people who have a certain type of job. Just because the number of people who own that brand of car and the number of people who have that type of job is correlated, it doesn’t mean that owning that brand of car causes someone to have that type of job or vice versa. The correlation could, for example, be caused by another factor such as income level or age group, which would affect both car ownership and job type.

To confidently establish a causal relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable (i.e., X causes Y), you’ll typically need an experimental design , where you have complete control over the environmen t and the variables of interest. But even so, this doesn’t always translate into the “real world”. Simply put, what happens in the lab sometimes stays in the lab!

As an alternative to pure experimental research, correlational or “ quasi-experimental ” research (where the researcher cannot manipulate or change variables) can be done on a much larger scale more easily, allowing one to understand specific relationships in the real world. These types of studies also assume some causality between independent and dependent variables, but it’s not always clear. So, if you go this route, you need to be cautious in terms of how you describe the impact and causality between variables and be sure to acknowledge any limitations in your own research.

What is a control variable?

In an experimental design, a control variable (or controlled variable) is a variable that is intentionally held constant to ensure it doesn’t have an influence on any other variables. As a result, this variable remains unchanged throughout the course of the study. In other words, it’s a variable that’s not allowed to vary – tough life 🙂

As we mentioned earlier, one of the major challenges in identifying and measuring causal relationships is that it’s difficult to isolate the impact of variables other than the independent variable. Simply put, there’s always a risk that there are factors beyond the ones you’re specifically looking at that might be impacting the results of your study. So, to minimise the risk of this, researchers will attempt (as best possible) to hold other variables constant . These factors are then considered control variables.

Some examples of variables that you may need to control include:

• Temperature
• Time of day
• Noise or distractions

Which specific variables need to be controlled for will vary tremendously depending on the research project at hand, so there’s no generic list of control variables to consult. As a researcher, you’ll need to think carefully about all the factors that could vary within your research context and then consider how you’ll go about controlling them. A good starting point is to look at previous studies similar to yours and pay close attention to which variables they controlled for.

Of course, you won’t always be able to control every possible variable, and so, in many cases, you’ll just have to acknowledge their potential impact and account for them in the conclusions you draw. Every study has its limitations , so don’t get fixated or discouraged by troublesome variables. Nevertheless, always think carefully about the factors beyond what you’re focusing on – don’t make assumptions!

Other types of variables

As we mentioned, independent, dependent and control variables are the most common variables you’ll come across in your research, but they’re certainly not the only ones you need to be aware of. Next, we’ll look at a few “secondary” variables that you need to keep in mind as you design your research.

• Moderating variables
• Mediating variables
• Confounding variables
• Latent variables

Let’s jump into it…

What is a moderating variable?

A moderating variable is a variable that influences the strength or direction of the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable. In other words, moderating variables affect how much (or how little) the IV affects the DV, or whether the IV has a positive or negative relationship with the DV (i.e., moves in the same or opposite direction).

For example, in a study about the effects of sleep deprivation on academic performance, gender could be used as a moderating variable to see if there are any differences in how men and women respond to a lack of sleep. In such a case, one may find that gender has an influence on how much students’ scores suffer when they’re deprived of sleep.

It’s important to note that while moderators can have an influence on outcomes , they don’t necessarily cause them ; rather they modify or “moderate” existing relationships between other variables. This means that it’s possible for two different groups with similar characteristics, but different levels of moderation, to experience very different results from the same experiment or study design.

What is a mediating variable?

Mediating variables are often used to explain the relationship between the independent and dependent variable (s). For example, if you were researching the effects of age on job satisfaction, then education level could be considered a mediating variable, as it may explain why older people have higher job satisfaction than younger people – they may have more experience or better qualifications, which lead to greater job satisfaction.

Mediating variables also help researchers understand how different factors interact with each other to influence outcomes. For instance, if you wanted to study the effect of stress on academic performance, then coping strategies might act as a mediating factor by influencing both stress levels and academic performance simultaneously. For example, students who use effective coping strategies might be less stressed but also perform better academically due to their improved mental state.

In addition, mediating variables can provide insight into causal relationships between two variables by helping researchers determine whether changes in one factor directly cause changes in another – or whether there is an indirect relationship between them mediated by some third factor(s). For instance, if you wanted to investigate the impact of parental involvement on student achievement, you would need to consider family dynamics as a potential mediator, since it could influence both parental involvement and student achievement simultaneously.

What is a confounding variable?

A confounding variable (also known as a third variable or lurking variable ) is an extraneous factor that can influence the relationship between two variables being studied. Specifically, for a variable to be considered a confounding variable, it needs to meet two criteria:

• It must be correlated with the independent variable (this can be causal or not)
• It must have a causal impact on the dependent variable (i.e., influence the DV)

Some common examples of confounding variables include demographic factors such as gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, education level, and health status. In addition to these, there are also environmental factors to consider. For example, air pollution could confound the impact of the variables of interest in a study investigating health outcomes.

Naturally, it’s important to identify as many confounding variables as possible when conducting your research, as they can heavily distort the results and lead you to draw incorrect conclusions . So, always think carefully about what factors may have a confounding effect on your variables of interest and try to manage these as best you can.

What is a latent variable?

Latent variables are unobservable factors that can influence the behaviour of individuals and explain certain outcomes within a study. They’re also known as hidden or underlying variables , and what makes them rather tricky is that they can’t be directly observed or measured . Instead, latent variables must be inferred from other observable data points such as responses to surveys or experiments.

For example, in a study of mental health, the variable “resilience” could be considered a latent variable. It can’t be directly measured , but it can be inferred from measures of mental health symptoms, stress, and coping mechanisms. The same applies to a lot of concepts we encounter every day – for example:

• Emotional intelligence
• Quality of life
• Business confidence
• Ease of use

One way in which we overcome the challenge of measuring the immeasurable is latent variable models (LVMs). An LVM is a type of statistical model that describes a relationship between observed variables and one or more unobserved (latent) variables. These models allow researchers to uncover patterns in their data which may not have been visible before, thanks to their complexity and interrelatedness with other variables. Those patterns can then inform hypotheses about cause-and-effect relationships among those same variables which were previously unknown prior to running the LVM. Powerful stuff, we say!

Let’s recap

In the world of scientific research, there’s no shortage of variable types, some of which have multiple names and some of which overlap with each other. In this post, we’ve covered some of the popular ones, but remember that this is not an exhaustive list .

To recap, we’ve explored:

• Independent variables (the “cause”)
• Dependent variables (the “effect”)
• Control variables (the variable that’s not allowed to vary)

If you’re still feeling a bit lost and need a helping hand with your research project, check out our 1-on-1 coaching service , where we guide you through each step of the research journey. Also, be sure to check out our free dissertation writing course and our collection of free, fully-editable chapter templates .

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This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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Identifying Variables

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Mizpah Gumaya

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Teaching About Variables in Science

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If you are teaching the scientific method in your classroom, then you should also be teaching about variables! A variable is something that can change or vary for an experiment to be a success. There are three types- an independent variable (sometimes called a manipulated variable), a dependent variable (sometimes referred to as the responding variable), and the controlled variable. Each has an important role to play in experiments.

Understanding the Three Variables

Often times students will mix up the three variables. It takes a lot of practice to help them – which is where the experiments come in.

An independent variable asks the question, “Which variable are you testing?” It is also the variable that changes or varies in the experiment. It is part of the research question and is intentionally changed.

A dependent variable asks the question, “What will the results measure?” It depends on the independent variable and is part of the results. It is the factor or condition that might be affected. It’s what you’re measuring.

The controlled variable asks the question, “What things will you make sure will stay the same during the experiment?” All of these variables do not change and are kept the same the entire time throughout the experiment.

When we control variables, we are able to draw conclusions between the independent and dependent variables without having skewed results.

Teaching About Variables

One of my favorite activities to do that helps to teach about the three different variables is the Paper Towels Lab. I group students up and provide each group with a roll of a generic brand of paper towels and a brand name roll of paper towels. Then I pose the question, “ Will a brand name paper towel absorb more water than a generic paper towel?”

I also provide each group with 250 mL of water, a graduated cylinder, and a tin pan.

I have each group measure out a piece of paper towel that is the same perimeter. We discuss how we don’t want the size of the paper towel to affect the results. This is part of the controlled variables.

Then we all pour 250 mL of water into our tin pans and dip one paper towel for 30 seconds. We count together. Again, we discuss that these are the controlled variables because we are going to keep the amount of water the same for both types of paper towels and the amount of time.

After 30 seconds, we remove the paper towel from the tin and hold it up above our tin and allow it to drip. We all hold it with one hand and count 30 seconds again.

We place our paper towel to the side and then take the water in the tin pan and carefully pour it into the graduated cylinder to measure it. Then we subtract that number from our original number (250 mL) to discover the difference. The difference is how much water that particular paper towel could hold.

We then repeat the experiment with the other brand of paper towels. We do everything the exact same way.

We also discuss the importance of repeated trials. We repeat the test 2 more times for each type of paper towel to get an average.

What we found was indeed the name brand paper towel did hold more water than the generic brand.

The Results of our Paper Towel Lab

Once the lab was over, we discussed again the three variables. The independent variable was the type of paper towel because it was what we were testing. We wanted to know which would hold more water. The dependent variable was the amount of water being absorbed. We know this because it was what we were measuring. It completely depended on the independent variable. The controlled variables were the same size paper towels, the amount of time they were submerged in water, the amount of time they dripped, the same amount of water each time, and so on.

Grab a FREEBIE!

After completing this lab, have your students practice identifying the various types of variables using this freebie!

Students read the science lab scenarios and then highlight the independent variable, the dependent variable, and the controlled variables in a different color. Click here to download it immediately FREE!

Are you looking for other scientific method ideas? Check out my Scientific Method Unit , or my blog post about Starting Fresh Teaching the Scientific Method.

Happy Teaching!

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Dependent and Independent Variables

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Dependent & Independent Variables w/ Equations

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