noun · academic
variable
UK/ˈvɛəriəb(ə)l/US/ˈvɛriəbl/VAR·i·a·ble
An element, feature, or factor that is liable to vary or change in research.
Examples
“Age was treated as a control variable in the experiment.”
“We measured the dependent variable every hour.”
“The study examined how different variables affect academic performance.”
Band 8 sentence
“We controlled for confounding variables to ensure that any effect on the dependent variable could be attributed to the intervention.”
Collocations
- independent variable
- dependent variable
- control variable
Word family
Common mistakes
dependant variable→dependent variable
many variable→many variables
variable is controlled→the variable is controlled
Say it for a higher band
5factor→6element→7+variable
Synonyms
factor
element
Easily confused
factor
“Cost is one of the main factors affecting consumer choice.”
Related words
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In Science & Research
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