focal variable

USAGE SUMMARY

"focal variable" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when referring to an aspect of a system or process which is given particular emphasis and attention, for example "The researchers identified a focal variable in their study which they thought had a major influence on the outcome."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

This is essentially the mechanism suggested by Kollintzas et al. (2017), where WPR is a focal variable.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

In detail, we use the focal variable, social media interactions, as well as additional contractual (e.g., advertising consent, upselling behavior, and acquisition channel) and demographic covariates (e.g., age, gender, credit score, and purchasing power).

Business Research

We initially included interactions between the focal variable and study type in the models, but the interaction term was never significant, so we removed it from the final models.

Plosone

For continuous focal variable (household wealth), we tested this using bi-serial correlations.

BMC Public Health

Moreover, to examine the effects of both brain mass and body mass we performed the sequential regression once with brain mass as the focal variable and once with body mass as the focal variable.

BMC Ecology

Then, the model is fit using only the focal variable and comparing the gain with respect to the full model.

BMC Ecology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

Our results were largely robust to different focal variables and resilience definitions.

Forest Ecology and Management

The proposed focal variables are a) forest cover, b) opportunity cost, c) livelihood and productive diversification, d) pro-social and pro-environmental motivations and attitudes, e) confidence and cooperation, f) traditional management practices, g) internal organization on the local level, h) land tenure, and i) rules for the management and use of natural resources.

Ecosystem Services

The focal variables, pre-purchase interactions, post-purchase interactions, service requests, and service complaints, are incorporated as time-varying covariates that account for changes on a daily basis.

Business Research

The final sample with analyzable answers for all of the focal variables consisted of 170 professors, 833 scientific employees, and 213 non-scientific employees (2 participants did not indicate their affiliation with one of these groups).

Business Research

We choose a parametric Weibull hazard model formulation to account for the baseline trend of the upselling likelihood during the customer lifetime and to allow for a time-varying formulation of our focal variables, pre- and post-purchase interactions, service requests, and service complaints (Grewal et al. 2004; Kamakura et al. 2004).

Business Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "focal variable" when you want to emphasize that a particular variable is central to your investigation. For example, in a study examining the effects of exercise on weight loss, you could describe exercise as the "focal variable".

Common error

Avoid using "focus variable" as a direct substitute for "focal variable". While they might seem similar, "focal variable" is the more established and precise term in academic and scientific writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "focal variable" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence to identify a specific variable being emphasized in a particular context. Ludwig examples show its frequent use in scientific research.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

60%

Academia

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

News & Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "focal variable" is a grammatically sound phrase used to denote the primary variable of interest in a study or analysis. According to Ludwig, it's most frequently found in scientific and academic contexts. While not as ubiquitous as other terms, its precise meaning makes it valuable in research settings. Alternatives include "key variable" or "primary variable". When writing, remember that the goal is to highlight main aspects of your analysis and the term is adequate for that. It's important to distinguish it from similar terms like "focus variable" for accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

key variable

Emphasizes the importance of the variable within a study or analysis; it's a more direct synonym.

primary variable

Highlights the variable as being the main one of interest or focus.

central variable

Indicates the variable is at the core or center of the analysis.

main variable

A straightforward way to say that this is the most important variable.

variable of interest

More descriptive, specifying that the variable is the one being investigated.

target variable

Suggests that the variable is the subject of a particular intervention or analysis.

independent variable

Highlights the variable that is manipulated or controlled in an experiment.

dependent variable

Focuses on the variable that is measured or tested in an experiment.

predictor variable

Indicates the variable that is used to predict the value of another variable.

response variable

Emphasizes the variable that responds to changes in another variable.

FAQs

How is "focal variable" used in research?

In research, "focal variable" refers to the primary variable of interest in a study. Researchers analyze its effects or relationships with other variables to draw conclusions.

What's a simple explanation of "focal variable"?

A "focal variable" is the main thing you're looking at or measuring in a study or experiment. It's the variable that receives the most attention.

Is "focal variable" the same as "independent variable"?

While related, they aren't always the same. The "independent variable" is manipulated, while the "focal variable" is simply the main point of interest, which could be either independent or dependent.

What can I use instead of "focal variable"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "key variable", "primary variable", or "central variable" to express a similar meaning.