Skill Enhancement Course
IT Skills and Data Analysis -1
Here are 3 examples of situations with different types of variables:
• Example 1: Plant Growth Experiment
Independent Variable**: Amount of sunlight (full sun, partial shade, full shade)
Dependent Variable:
- Plant height (continuous)
- Number of flowers (discrete)
- Leaf color (ordinal: green, yellow, wilted)
In this plant growth experiment, the amount of sunlight is manipulated as the
independent variable. The dependent variables measured are plant height (a
quantitative continuous variable), number of flowers (a quantitative discrete variable),
and leaf color (a qualitative ordinal variable).
• Example 2: Customer Satisfaction Survey
Independent Variables:
- Age (continuous)
- Gender (nominal: male, female, other)
- Income level (ordinal: low, medium, high)
**Dependent Variable**:
- Satisfaction rating (ordinal: very dissatisfied, dissatisfied, neutral, satisfied, very
satisfied)
In this customer satisfaction survey, the independent variables are age (quantitative
continuous), gender (qualitative nominal), and income level (qualitative ordinal). The
dependent variable is the satisfaction rating, which is a qualitative ordinal variable.
• Example 3: Voter Preferences Poll
Independent Variables:
- Political party affiliation (nominal: Democrat, Republican, Independent,
Other)
- Education level (ordinal: high school, bachelor's, master's, doctorate)
- Age group (ordinal: 18-29, 30-44, 45-64, 65+)
Dependent Variable:
- Voting intention (nominal: Candidate A, Candidate B, Undecided)
In this voter preferences poll, the independent variables are political party affiliation
(qualitative nominal), education level (qualitative ordinal), and age group (qualitative
ordinal). The dependent variable is voting intention, which is a qualitative nominal
variable.
