Science, Tech, Math › Social Sciences Control Variable Share Flipboard Email Print Social Sciences Sociology Key Concepts Major Sociologists Deviance & Crime News & Issues Research, Samples, and Statistics Recommended Reading Psychology Archaeology Economics Environment Ergonomics Maritime By Ashley Crossman Updated November 25, 2019 A control variable is a variable that is held constant in a research analysis. The use of control variables is generally done to answer four basic kinds of questions: Is an observed relationship between two variables just a statistical accident?If one variable has a causal effect on another, is this effect a direct one or is it indirect with another variable intervening?If several variables all have causal effects on the dependent variable, how does the strength of those effects vary?Does a particular relationship between two variables look the same under various conditions?