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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

Concepts & Variables

S. Hassan Adelyar, Ph.D

Research Methodology

Instructor of Computer Science Faculty

Kabul University

August 2023
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Variables August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 Something that varies.
 Example: Age, Score, CPU Speed, Execution
time of an Algorithm, Number of items to be
sorted, etc.
 A concept that can be measured is called a
variable.
Research Methodology

 Measurability is the main difference between

a concept and a variable.
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Concepts August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 An image or perception that is not directly
measurable.
 An abstract idea.
 Examples: Effective, Wonderful, Security,
Maintenance, Globalization, Virtualization,
etc.
Research Methodology

 Abstract thinking
 Concepts meanings vary markedly from
individual to individual.
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 We all make judgements in our daily lives:
 This food is excellent

 This program is effective.

 The network is secure.

 This program is not performing well.

Research Methodology

 Threats to data security in cloud computing

also depend on virtualization.

 The time complexity of binary search is

lower than linear search.

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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 When research problem is clear &

research questions are formulated, the
next step is to:
 Determine the relevant variables /

concepts to the situation.

Research Methodology

 Specific variables / concepts are

determined related to each defined

problem or question.
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 The focus is on identifying the different

independent and dependent variables.
 The next step after variables / concepts is

formulation of constructs and model.

Research Methodology
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 Constructs
 The conceptual vocabulary of a

domain
 Models

 Sets of propositions or statements

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expressing relationships between

constructs
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables
Research Methodology
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 We design hypotheses using concepts.

 We devise measurement concepts by

which to test these hypothetical

statements.
 We gather data using these measureable
Research Methodology

concepts.
 Example: Maintenance (repair, modify,

correct, prevent, adapt, augment)

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Concepts & Variables
 Measurements
 Because these explain feelings or

preferences, the basis on which they are

made may vary markedly from person to
person.
 There is no uniform manner to measure
Research Methodology

them.
 Such feelings or judgements can be

measured indirectly through appropriate

indicators.
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 It is important for the concepts to be

converted into variables (either directly
or through a set of indicators).
 The degree of precision with which

concepts can be measured markedly

Research Methodology

varies from one measurement scale to

another (nominal, ordinal, interval and
ratio).
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Converting Concepts Into August 2023

Variables
Concepts & Variables
 Conceptualization (What)
 Operationalization (How)
 Concept Conceptualization

 Define the meaning of concept (What

does it means?)
Research Methodology

 Indicators (set of criteria, aspects,

dimensions).
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 Conceptualization produces specific,

agreed-upon meaning for a concept for
the purposes of research.
Research Methodology
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 Concept Operationalization
 How to measure it?

 Researchers specify empirical

concepts that can be taken as indicators

of the attributes of a concept.
Research Methodology

 When we operationalize a concept, we

are creating variables.

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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 The success of research centers on:

 How clearly we conceptualize

 How well others understand the

concepts we use.
Research Methodology
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 Example:
 Is intelligence related to happiness?

 Conceptual:

 Intelligence: The capacity for:

 Abstract though
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 Understanding

 Communication

 Reasoning

 Problem solving
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 Example:
 Rich is a concept
 To conceptualize it:

 Identify indicators.
 Assume that we decide upon income and
Research Methodology

assets as the indicators.

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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 You need to look further at the

indicators of assets (house, car and
investments).
 Converting the value of each one into

money will give the total value of the

Research Methodology

assets owned by a person.

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August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 Example:
 To measure well-being:
 Physical health,

 Emotional health,

 Work environment,
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 Life evaluation,

 Healthy behaviors.
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 The next step after RQ formulation can

be:
 Formulation of concepts and

constructs important for the problem

 Formulation of hypotheses
Research Methodology

 Formulation of variables
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Types of Variable August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 A variable can be classified in a numbers

of ways.
 The causal relationship

 The study design

 The unit of measurement

Research Methodology

 From the viewpoint of causal

relationship:
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Concepts & Variables

 Change variables:
 Independent variables.

 Affects the dependent variable.

 Manipulated by researchers.

 Outcome variables:
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 Dependent variables.
 Affected by the independent

variable.
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Concepts & Variables

 Connecting Variable
 Linking variables

 Extraneous variables

 Unmeasured variables

 In a naturals setting it is difficult to

Research Methodology

control the extraneous variables.

 In the experimental study it is

relatively easier to controls all the

extraneous variables.
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Concepts & Variables

 Example: Relationship between smoking

and disease.
 You assume that smoking is a cause of

disease.
 Many factors affecting this relationship:
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 Number of cigarettes

 Amount of tobacco smoked every day

 The duration of smoking

 The age of the smoker

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Concepts & Variables

 These variables may either increase or

decrease the magnitude of the
relationship.
 In the above example:

 Smoking: Independent variable

Research Methodology

 Disease: Dependent variable

 Variables that might affect this

relationship, either positively or

negatively: Extraneous variables
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 From the viewpoint of the study design:
 Active variables:

 Those variables that can be

manipulated, changed or controlled.

 Attribute variables:
Research Methodology

 Variables that cannot be manipulated,

changed or controlled.
 Reflect the characteristics of the study

population.
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 Example:
 To study the relative effectiveness of

three teaching models (A, B and C).

 Students’ Age, or motivation to study:

 Attribute variables.
Research Methodology

 Teaching models:

 Active variable
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 From the viewpoint of the unit of

measurement:
 There are two ways of categorizing

variables:
 Categorical unit of measurement
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(nominal and ordinal scales)

 Continuous unit of measurement

(interval and ratio scales)

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Indexes and Scales August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 Some concepts have dimensions.
 To account for a concept’s dimensions a

researcher might rely on indexes or

scales.
 Index:
 A type of measure that contains several
Research Methodology

indicators and is used to summarize

some more general concept.
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Concepts & Variables
 Scale:
 Like an index, a scale is also a

composite measure.
 But unlike indexes, scales are designed

in a way that accounts for the

possibility that different items on an
Research Methodology

index may vary in intensity.

 Take the well-being example:
 It has the following dimensions:
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 Physical health
 Emotional health
 Work environment
 Life evaluation
 Healthy behaviors
Research Methodology

 Is it possible that one of these dimensions

is a more important contributor to

overall well-being than the others?
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 Operation (how to measure it?)
 To measure well-being the factors

(physical health, emotional health,

work environment) work as
indicators.
Research Methodology
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Types of Measurement August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 Nominal or classificatory scale

 Ordinal or ranking scale

 Interval scale

 Ratio scale
Research Methodology
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 Nominal Scale
 The most basic level of measurement.

 Enables the classification of objects

based on a common property.

 Example: The variable result can be
Research Methodology

classified: pass and fail.

 One unique feature of nominal-level

measures is that they cannot be

mathematically quantified.
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables
 Ordinal or Ranking Scale
 Has all the properties of a nominal scale,

but also ranks the subgroups in a certain

order.
 They are arranged in either ascending or

descending order.
Research Methodology

 Example: Income can be measured either

quantitatively (in dollars and cents) or

qualitatively, using subcategories: High,
Medium, and Low.
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 The interval scale

 Has all the characteristics of an ordinal

scale;
 In addition, an interval scale uses a

unit of measurement that enables the

Research Methodology

individuals or responses to be placed at

equally spaced intervals in relation to
the spread of the variable.
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 This scale has a starting and a

terminating point and is divided into
equally spaced units/intervals.
Research Methodology
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 The ratio scale

 A ratio scale has all the properties of

nominal, ordinal and interval scales

and it also has a starting point fixed at
zero.
Research Methodology

 Therefore, it is an absolute scale, the

difference between the intervals is

always measured from a zero point.
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August 2023
Concepts & Variables

 This means the ratio scale can be used

for mathematical operations. The
measurement of income, age, height
and weight are examples of this scale.
 A person who is 40 years of age is twice
Research Methodology

as old as a 20-year-old.
End of Chapter 4

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