In an experiment, which variable is intentionally altered by the researcher to observe its impact on the dependent variable?

In an experiment, which variable is intentionally altered by the researcher to observe its impact on the dependent variable?

• A. Dependent Variable
• B. Independent Variable
• C. Intervening Variable
• D. Sampling

Answer: (B)

The independent variable is the variable the researcher intentionally changes to observe its impact on the dependent variable. The dependent variable is the outcome that is measured to see the effect. An intervening variable (mediator) explains how or why the relationship occurs, and is not the variable the researcher actively manipulates. Sampling refers to who is included in the study and affects generalizability. For example, if you want to see whether amount of study time affects test scores, the study time is the independent variable and the test scores are the dependent variable. By manipulating the independent variable and keeping other factors constant, you can attribute changes in the dependent variable to the manipulation.