What Is The Explanatory Variable

The primary objective of any study is to decide whether there is a crusade-and-effect relationship between the variables. Hence in experimental research, a variable is known as a factor that is not constant. It tin be changed and it tin can too alter on its own. An investigator can modify variables and control variables to determine if one variable has an effect on another variable in an experiment.

There are several types of variables, but the two which we volition discuss are explanatory and response variables. Nosotros will examine their distinct attributes and their effects on research.

Outset, let's start with the explanatory variable.

For you: Empirical Inquiry Survey Template

What is an Explanatory Variable?

An explanatory variable is known equally the factor in an experiment that has been altered by the investigator or the researcher.

The researcher uses this variable to make up one's mind whether a change has occurred in the intervention group (Response variables). An explanatory variable is as well known as a predictor variable or independent variable.

Although explanatory variables are often used interchangeably every bit independent variables, in that location are however some slight differences betwixt the 2.

An contained variable refers to when a variable is not affected by other variables. This ways that the characteristics of other variables do not have an effect on that variable. While the variable is said to exist explanatory when it is not totally independent.

Explore: Dependent vs Independent Variables: xi Key Differences

For instance, let'southward presume a random person is given two variables to clarify and interpret the concept of weight gain. The two variables given are Soda (Pepsi, Coke) and Fast food ( Burger, Pizza).

A person may opine that the consumption of fast nutrient and soda are not related considering fast food and soda are independent variables that don't depend on each other. However, that may non be right because the seller of fast food also encourages their customers to purchase soda forth with their meal. Same also if you terminate to buy soda in a place in that location are possibilities that there volition exist fast food available like burgers or hot dogs.

At present both variables ( fast food and soda) do have a contribution to weight gain. This is why they are chosen explanatory variables because these 2 variables tin provide an explanation for the weight gain.

Often the lines between an explanatory variable and an contained variable are ignored specially in statistical enquiry both the explanatory variable and independent variable mean the same.

Read: Research Questions: Definitions, Types + [Examples]

What is a Response Variable

Response Variable is the outcome of a study in which the explanatory variable is contradistinct. This ways that the variation of a response variable gets to be explained past other factors.

Response variable is not independent because its result depends on the effects of other factors. It is as well known as the dependent variable or outcome variable.

For instance, if y'all want to make up one's mind whether alcohol reduces the chance of safe driving, the booze consumed past a subject area would determine the effects on the subject area's driving performance.

This means that the consumed booze would provide an caption for the subject driving performance. Here the driving skills is the response variable which the alcohol would explain. And then the booze is the explanatory variable.

Read: What are Cross-Sectional Studies: Examples, Definition, Types

Applications of the Explanatory Variable

In some research experiments or studies, you can utilize one variable to explicate or fifty-fifty predict the changes in other variables. In those types of studies, the explanatory variable explains the changes or differences that are observed in the response variable. Therefore the explanatory variable is the variable that the researcher or investigator tin can manipulate or alter in an experimental written report.

Applications of the Response Variable

The response variable is used to understand the issue of experiments. This is considering it is the response variable that shows the effects of the treatment particular which is and so explained by the explanatory variable.

For example, a teacher developed a new lesson outline to supplant the old lesson outline which she believed can decrease feet in a student when information technology comes to public speaking. To test if a new lesson outline works ameliorate than the formal lesson she planned an experiment.

In the experiments, the selected students are randomly given either the new lesson or the former lesson.

And so their level of anxiety was measured during a series of public speaking experiences.

In this example, the explanatory variable is the lesson the student received while the response variable is their level of feet.

Read: Nominal, Ordinal, Interval & Ratio Variable + [Examples]

Allow'due south look at some other case: some eye school students want to know whether height can exist used to determine the historic period. So they conducted a random sampling of 30 students and teachers in their school.

Each of their sample group'due south individual elevation and age was recorded as the study is an observational report. Considering the educatee wants to utilise this process to predict the age of the people in their school the explanatory variable hither volition exist the height while the response variable is the age.

Explanatory Variables vs. Response Variables

To understand the human relationship between explanatory variables and response variables, it is best to first understand the variables individually.

The showtime affair to keep in mind is that you tin change or manipulate the value of explanatory variables and then as to evaluate their effect on response variables. So while the explanatory variables explain the changes that occur in the variables, the response variable is the bodily focus of the report. It represents the questions of the studies that need to exist answered.

Also, an explanatory variable explains the variation that occurs in the response variable. This is considering there is a causal relationship between the explanatory variable and the response variable. Depending on the report questions, at that place can be an fifty-fifty distribution of variables in the explanatory variables and the response variables.

Read: Open up vs Close-Concluded Question: 13 Key Differences

The response variable is what all the questions in research are based on. This is because it shows the change that occurs when a treatment has been administered.

For example, when trying to decide the best process for a patient with chest cancer betwixt chemotherapy and anti-estrogen handling, the question to be answered is which of these two procedures volition prolong your patient'due south life more than?

The explanatory variable here will exist the blazon of procedure administered while the response variable will exist the survival time.

Differences between Explanatory and Response Variables

Explanatory variables are the variables that can be contradistinct or manipulated in research ( for example, a modify in dosage) while response variables are the results of the manipulation done to the variables. ( The time information technology took for a reaction to occur)
An explanatory variable represents the expected cause that can explain the outcome of the research while response variables represent the effect that is expected every bit a response to the explanatory variable.
Changes are noticeable in response variables merely if changes occurred in explanatory variables different east xplanatory variables that can change at any point in the exam or enquiry
Explanatory variables are the independent variables in a research and response variables are the dependent variables.

Complimentary to use: Feasibility Written report Template

Examples of Explanatory and Response Variables

Allow us consider these examples of explanatory variables and response variables to amend understand the concept.

Examples 1

If you as a researcher want to observe whether fruit smoothies aid in losing weight. The aim of the written report volition be to determine whether the modify in your subjects' or participants' weight is caused by the intake of fruit smoothies.

The explanatory variable in this study volition be the fruit smoothie while the response variable is the weight of your participants.

Example 2

If a teacher wants to determine whether the amount of fourth dimension her students spend on playing video games has an impact on the performance and score earned past the students in their exams. The aim of the report will be to notice the impact of video games on exam performance.

In this case, the explanatory variable is the amount of fourth dimension the students spend playing video games and the response variable will exist their exam results.

Example three

A nutritionist may want to observe the effects of diet on her participants' pare and pilus health.

The aim of the experiment will exist to determine how the participants' diet can cause changes in their hair and their skin's health.

In this written report, the explanatory variable will be the participant's nutrition while the response variable volition exist the wellness of the participants' pilus and skin.

Visualizing Explanatory and Response Variables

To visualize explanatory and response variables, the easiest method is to use a graph.

The explanatory variable is placed on the 10-axis on the graph while the response variable is placed on the y-axis.

x-y-axis

Use a bar graph if the explanatory variable is chiselled.

Use a line graph if the response variable is categorical. Y'all tin can also use the scatter plot.

You'll go paired data if you have a single explanatory variable and a single response variable. This implies that the measurement of each response variable is connected to the value of an explanatory variable in each bailiwick.

Permit'due south use Instance 2 in the above-listed examples, if the teacher wants to decide whether at that place is any cause-and-outcome relationship between the number of hours the students spent playing video games and their exam performance, she tin conduct a test on 100 students in the schoolhouse.

The explanatory variables in this written report are the number of hours the students spent playing video games and the response variable is the exam score of the 100 selected students.

The instructor can further represent the results in a graph. A scatter plot is best for this. The hours spent on playing video games will exist plotted on the 10-axis and the exam score of the 100 students plotted on the Y-axis. The information indicate in the scatterplot graph will represent the paired information of each of the students.

Frequently Asked Questions nigh Explanatory and Response Variables

Is age an explanatory variable or a response variable?

There is no definite reply to this however, we can use this example to determine whether age is an explanatory variable or a response variable.

If y'all want to determine an individual's cost of living, some of the factors that will be analyzed are the private's age, the salary, and the individual's marital status. In this case, these listed factors are the explanatory variables while the individual's cost of living is the response variable because the level of the person's cost of living is dependent on these factors.

From this example, age is an explanatory variable.

Is time an explanatory variable?

Let u.s. consider this example, if a researcher wants to predict the possible value of a commodity In the market place, the determinant factor will exist other factors.

Let'south presume the article in question is gold, to determine the futuristic toll of gold, other factors such as mining sites, and demand and supply volition exist considered.

The explanatory variable, in this case, will be demand and supply, and the mining sites while the response variable will be the forecasted price of gold in the time to come.

We can deduce from this example that fourth dimension is a response variable.

Is time response or an explanatory variable?

Fourth dimension is a response variable and not an explanatory variable. For example,

If you conduct a test to determine whether drinking coffee keeps a student awake for a longer time, give the student coffee in different measures.

Then compare the student's reaction time to determine the effect of the treatment detail.

The explanatory variable here will be the coffee drink given to the students while the response variable will be the educatee's reaction fourth dimension.

Conclusion

We have been able to discuss the relationship between explanatory variables and response variables. If you need to understand the cause of a reaction in an experiment, study the explanatory variable, they volition provide the solution to the enquiry problems.

It is also of import for all researchers to note that there can be more than one explanatory variable in enquiry. Such equally age, temperature e.t.c

Besides if there is no causal relationship in the data of a written report, there may be no response variable.