Course: Research Methods
Bivariate refers to any analysis involving exactly two variables.
So, you’re wondering what ‘bivariate’ means? Don’t worry! We’ve all been there. In simple terms, bivariate is like a friendship between two things. We’re not talking about people here, though. We’re talking about variables – things we can measure or observe that might change over time or across different situations. When we say something is bivariate, we mean it involves two of these variables.
Examples in the Real World
To make this clearer, let’s look at some examples.
Criminal Justice: Two Variables at Play
Picture this: A detective is looking into the number of crimes in a city and the time of day. The two variables here are the ‘number of crimes’ and the ‘time of day.’ This is a bivariate relationship because the detective is studying how these two variables interact. Maybe more crimes happen at night, or maybe it’s the other way around. Studying these two variables together helps the detective make sense of the patterns.
Social Work: Making Connections
Now, imagine you’re a social worker. You want to see if there’s a connection between family income and access to healthy food. The two variables you’re studying – ‘family income’ and ‘access to healthy food’ – make this a bivariate analysis. By looking at these variables together, you can understand how one affects the other. If you find out that lower-income families have less access to healthy food, you’ve discovered a bivariate relationship.
Political Science: Cause and Effect
Finally, consider a political scientist. They might study the relationship between voter age and political party preference. Here, the two variables are ‘voter age’ and ‘political party preference.’ This bivariate analysis could show that younger voters prefer one party while older voters prefer another. The political scientist can use this data to understand voting patterns.
Bivariate: The Power of Two
In each of these examples, two variables were studied together. This is what makes it bivariate. Bivariate analyses can reveal interesting and often important relationships. By understanding how one thing affects another, we can make better decisions, find solutions, and even predict the future! So, remember – when you hear ‘bivariate,’ think ‘two variables.’