ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Contrast variable

A contrast variable is a way to compare two or more things by looking at how they are different from each other.

Let's say you have a group of dogs and you want to compare how much they love treats. To do this, you can give each dog a different type of treat and see how excited they get. The amount of excitement each dog shows can be used as a contrast variable to compare how much each dog loves the treat.

Another example is comparing the weight of different fruits. You can use the contrast variable of weight to see which fruit is heavier or lighter than the others.

So, a contrast variable is just a tool to help us compare things by focusing on one specific aspect or characteristic.