In experimental design, the variable you deliberately manipulate to observe an effect is the

In experimental design, the variable you deliberately manipulate to observe an effect is the

• A. Independent Variable (IV)
• B. Dependent Variable (DV)
• C. Constant
• D. Authenticity

Answer: (A)

The variable you deliberately change to test its effect is the independent variable. You adjust it across conditions to see how the outcome changes. The thing you measure—the result of interest—is the dependent variable, which depends on the level of the independent variable. Keep other factors constant to avoid confounding results. For example, if you’re studying whether caffeine affects reaction time, caffeine intake is the independent variable and reaction time is the dependent variable; all other conditions, like room temperature and lighting, should be kept the same. Authenticity isn’t a factor in this context.

The variable you deliberately change to test its effect is the independent variable. You adjust it across conditions to see how the outcome changes. The thing you measure—the result of interest—is the dependent variable, which depends on the level of the independent variable. Keep other factors constant to avoid confounding results. For example, if you’re studying whether caffeine affects reaction time, caffeine intake is the independent variable and reaction time is the dependent variable; all other conditions, like room temperature and lighting, should be kept the same. Authenticity isn’t a factor in this context.