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What is a variable in social research? What are their different types? Elaborate. (UPSC CSE Mains 2025- Sociology, Paper 1) 10 Marks
A variable represents any characteristic, number, or quantity that can be measured or quantified. Understanding the types of variables is crucial for conducting rigorous sociological research. They help researchers operationalize abstract concepts like inequality, power, or identity, and provide the tools to analyze complex social relationships.
Types
- Independent Variable (IV)
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- The variable that is manipulated or categorized to observe its effect.
- It’s the presumed cause in a cause-effect relationship.
- Example: In a study on education and income, education level is the independent variable.
- Dependent Variable (DV)
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- The outcome or effect that is measured.
- It depends on the independent variable.
- Example: Income is the dependent variable in the same study.
- Control Variable
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- Variables that are held constant to isolate the relationship between IV and DV.
- Example: Age or gender might be controlled when studying the effect of education on income.
- Intervening (Mediating) Variable
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- A variable that explains the relationship between IV and DV.
- Example: Job type might mediate the link between education and income.
- Moderating Variable
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- A variable that affects the strength or direction of the relationship between IV and DV.
- Example: Gender might moderate how education influences income.
- Confounding Variable
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- An outside variable that can distort the true relationship between IV and DV.
- Example: Parental wealth might confound the relationship between education and income.
Beyond their functional roles in research design, variables are also classified based on how they are measured. Nominal variables represent categories without any inherent order, such as religion or marital status. Ordinal variables have a clear order but no consistent spacing between categories, like social class or education level. Interval variables are numeric and have equal intervals between values but lack a true zero point—IQ scores are a common example. Ratio variables have all the properties of interval variables but include a meaningful zero, such as income, age, or number of children.
By carefully selecting and analyzing variables, sociologists can uncover patterns, test theories, and contribute valuable insights into the workings of society.
POSTED ON 30-09-2025 BY ADMIN
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