We record the neuroticism ratings of a group of subjects. The subjects have different scores and they fall into normal distributions. In this example, neuroticism is a(n):

the answer is Variable, but WHY?

Neuroticism in this example is considered a variable because it can take on different values for each subject. A variable is any characteristic or attribute that can vary or change from one individual or situation to another. In this case, the neuroticism ratings can vary across the group of subjects, meaning each subject can have a different score. Therefore, it meets the definition of a variable.