What is the difference between a concept and a variable and How does a researcher transform one into the other?
A concept is an idea or an abstraction that stands for
something. A concept becomes a variable when it is made operational
or when it can be counted, categorized, or observed. For example,
job satisfaction is a concept, but, it becomes a variable when a
definition is it attached to it that makes it measurable. You may
ask a married person, "how satisfied are you with your job?" If you
attach levels of satisfaction to it, then it becomes a variable.
All variables are concepts when you can measure the concept.
However, not all concepts can be variables. A concept that is not a
variable is a concept that is not measurable.