Type of Dependent Variables Use the drop-down menu to specify the type of Dependent Variable. You will see one of the following menu variants: By default, • If the variable is character it is considered to be Nominal, • If the variable is numeric , it is considered to be Continuous. You can opt to override the default (blank space selected) condition by selecting either Continuous or Nominal. To Specify the Type of Dependent Variable: Make a selection using the drop-down menu.