There are thousands of different potential cultural variables, so it's hard to know from your question which ones are the cultural variables you're wondering about. A cultural variable is something that is different between one culture and another. For instance, in the Japanese culture, the polite distance to stand from someone you are talking with is different than the polite distance in English culture. A major set of cultural variables is what is considered polite. Other cultural variables may determine what a status symbol is. Culture influences our laws, cuisine and habits.