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VARIABLES
A term central to quantitative sociology and to macro-structural sociology. The term refers to that which varies, rather than being constant. In particular its reference is to structural features that vary (things like gender, age, race, social class) and have an influence on behaviour or attitudinal variables (discrimination or attitudes about abortion). Researchers work out ways to measure these variables (often by asking questions) and determine their importance in understanding human behaviour. Those variables thought to be causal variables are called independent variables and those thought to be effects are called dependent variables. A variable has two or more values; the variable of sex, for example, has the values of female and male. See: DEPENDENT VARIABLE / INDEPENDENT VARIABLE / .

Last updated 2002--0-9-

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Athabaca University ICAAP

© Robert Drislane, Ph.D. and Gary Parkinson, Ph.D.
The online version of this dictionary is a product of
Athabasca University and
ICAAP

*This social science dictionary has 1000
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