Which term is the variable that is deliberately changed in an experiment?

Which term is the variable that is deliberately changed in an experiment?

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

Answer: (C)

The term describes the variable you intentionally change to see its effect on something else. In experiments, that is the independent variable. It’s the input or cause you manipulate on purpose to observe how it alters the outcome. The variable you measure as the result is the dependent variable, which shows the effect of the manipulation. For example, if you’re testing how study time affects test scores, study time is the independent variable and test scores are the dependent variable.

Sampling isn’t a variable you manipulate in the experiment; it’s about how you choose participants. An intervening (mediating) variable is a factor that helps explain how or why a relationship occurs, not the factor you deliberately change.