The observation of variables plays a dramatic role in conducting any research, as they serve as indicators of any quantitative and qualitative changes during the intervention. According to the researchers, a variable is a property or a characteristic of an entity that may vary in terms of quality and quantity (Apuke, 2017, p. 43). The primary differentiation of variables encompasses the existence of independent, dependent, and extraneous variables. The independent variables are the ones being manipulated by the researchers to observe the hypothesized outcomes. The dependent variables, for their part, stand for the means of measuring the outcomes of the independent variable manipulations. For instance, in the study presented by Magtibay et al. (2017), in order to define how blended learning affected nursing burnout, the researchers used blended learning intervention as an independent variable, with the dependent variable being the stress and burnout levels among nurses.
The last type of variable is an extraneous variable, which stands for the type of variable that is not independent and is not explicitly controlled by the researcher, leading to some unexpected outcomes and effects on the dependent variables (Bhandari, 2021). This variable is fundamentally divided into demand characteristics, experimenter effects, situational variables, and participant variables (Bhandari, 2021). One of the primary ways to control the extraneous variables is to secure a relatively stable environment throughout the intervention, especially when it comes to situational variables such as setting and participants’ conditions. Another means of controlling extraneous variables is to depend on the entirely random assignment of participants to the control and intervention groups in order to stabilize the occurrence of the characteristics peculiar to each participant of the study.
References
Apuke, O. D. (2017). Quantitative research methods: A synopsis approach. Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 33(5471), 1-8. Web.
Bhandari, P. (2021). Understanding extraneous variables. Scribbr. Web.
Magtibay, D. L., Chesak, S. S., Coughlin, K., & Sood, A. (2017). Decreasing stress and burnout in nurses: Efficacy of blended learning with stress management and resilience training program. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 47(7/8), 391-395.