Variable

Variable that can take more than one value.

A variable is a characteristic of a person, object or
phenomenon that can take different value.
The values of variable can be expressed in
numbers. These are called Numerical variable.
The values of variable can also be expressed in
categories. Then these are called Categorical
Variables.
Constant: Seven days in a week

Determine if the variable is

Quantitative or Categorical

Height
Whether or not the individual went to sleep before 12:00am
Month of birth
Distance from home
Whether the individual has a cell phone
How many e-mail messages a person has sent in the last 24 hours
The age of a bride on her wedding day
Whether the bride is older, younger, or the same age as the
groom in a wedding couple
The number of letters in a persons last name

Check your answers on the next slide

Quantitative Variables

Height
Distance from home
How many e-mail messages a person has sent in the last 24 hours
The age of a bride on her wedding day
The number of letters in a persons last name

Categorical

Whether or not the individual went to sleep before 12:00am

Month of birth
Whether the individual has a cell phone
Whether the bride is older, younger, or the same age as the
groom in a wedding couple

Income
Health &
Nutrition

Poverty
Income

Management

Nutritional Level

Education

Marketing

Infrastructure

Unemployment

Social Capital

Women
Empowerment &
Gender Issue

Social
Ownership

GO, NGOs &

Private Sector
Intervention

Problem

Analysis

Q Generating

Answer: Y/N

Process

Model of Variable

Data

Types of Variable (contd.)

Variable is some indicator, which can vary on
situation.
Variable must be expressed in quantifiable form.
Some variables we can generally express in
quantifiable form i.e. income, age, number of car,
height etc.
Some variables are qualitative variable:
Dependent Variable
Independent Variable

Types of Variable (contd.)

There is no fundamental rule that some variables
are dependent and some variables are
independent..
Dependent: Variable cannot vary itself.
An Independent variable can vary by itself.
Exogenous Variable/Explicit (Outside): Values of
Variable determined outside the model e.g.
taxes, money supply, interest rate etc.

Types of Variable (contd.)

Endogenous Variable/Implicit (Inside): Values of
variables are determined within the model e.g.
inflation rate, profit, income, sex, age.
Random Variable:
Values of variable cannot be determined till the
occurrence of event is over. (Unemployment rate,
rainfall, GDP)
Random variable: 1. Discrete 2. Continuous.
Qualitative variable: Job satisfaction
Directly observable variable:

Types of Variable (contd.)

Constructed variable
Dichotomous variable
Unidimentional variable i.e. Height
Multidimentional Variable i.e. stress..
Qualitative variable: Job satisfaction
Directly observable variable:
Constructed variable