Below is an example of using independent and dependent variables in an ecological study: A government agency handles environmental care in a city. 2. The .gov means its official. So, they train a group of teachers in three different teaching styles: teacher-centered, where the teacher tells the students all about critical thinking; student-centered, where the students practice critical thinking and receive teacher feedback; and AI-assisted teaching, where the teacher uses a special software program to teach critical thinking. In experiments, you manipulate independent variables directly to see how they affect your dependent variable. It represents the cause or reason for an outcome. Blazing Angels or Resident Evil? 2022 Aug;27(5):436-446. doi: 10.1177/17449871211051566. At the outset of an experiment, it is important for researchers to operationally define the independent variable. The researchers then compare the scores of the exams between the two groups of classrooms. Although two variables may be correlated, this does not imply that there is a causal relationship between them. If you want to know whether caffeine affects your appetite, the presence/absence or amount of caffeine is the independent variable. For experimental data, you analyze your results by generating descriptive statistics and visualizing your findings. The research would look something like this: laboratory rats would be raised in three different rooms that varied in the degree of car exhaust circulating in the room: no exhaust, little exhaust, or a lot of exhaust. A researcher wants to determine if the color of an office has any effect on worker productivity. It's the outcome you're interested in measuring, and it 'depends' on your independent variable. ____________________________________________________________. The independent variable is the variable the experimenter manipulates or changes and is assumed to directly affect the dependent variable. An independent variable is the variable you manipulate, control, or vary in an experimental study to explore its effects. Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. Dependent Variables | Definition & Examples. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the It then proceeds to describe and discuss synonyms for the terms independent variable and dependent variable, including treatment, intervention, predictor, and risk factor, and synonyms for dependent variable, such as response variables and outcomes. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. Is this variable measured as an outcome of the study? You randomly assign your patients to one of the three groups: A true experiment requires you to randomly assign different levels of an independent variable to your participants. If the independent variable affects the dependent variable, then it should be possible to observe changes in the dependent variable based on the presence or absence of the independent variable. Taylor, J. M., & Rowe, B. J. You can use the DRY MIX acronym to help remember how to graph variables: D= dependent variableR= responding variableY= graph on the vertical or y-axis, M= manipulated variableI= independent variableX= graph on the horizontal or x-axis. You record brain activity with fMRI scans when participants hear infant cries without their awareness. These concepts should not be confused with predictor and outcome variables. Read our, Introduction to Psychology Research Methods, Internal Validity vs. The first is that the researchers manipulate, or systematically vary, the level of the independent variable. This article begins by defining the term variable and the terms independent variable and dependent variable, providing examples of each. The independent variable is the supplement, and the dependent variable is muscle mass. An independent variable is the variable you manipulate or vary in an experimental study to explore its effects. Vehicle Exhaust and Cognitive Performance, Mastery Learning: 10 Examples, Strengths & Limitations. You could also choose to look at the effect of exercise levels as well as diet, or even the additional effect of the two combined. Ferguson, C. J. In an experiment, you manipulate the independent variable and measure the outcome in the dependent variable. The independent variable in this example is the type of therapy. All we have to do is find 90 people that are similar in age, stress levels, diet and exercise, and as many other factors as we can think of. In an experiment to determine how far people can see into the infrared part of the spectrum, the wavelength of light is the independent variable and whether the light is observed (the response) is the dependent variable. You vary the room temperature by making it cooler for half the participants, and warmer for the other half. The site is secure. by The dependent variable is the variable being tested and measured in an experiment and is dependent on the independent variable. You manipulate the independent variable (the one you think might be the cause) and then measure the dependent variable (the one you think might be the effect) to find out what this effect might be. A well-known fast-food corporation wants to know if the color of the interior of their restaurants will affect how fast people eat. For example, in a plant growth study, the independent variables might be soil moisture (continuous) and type of fertilizer (categorical). The dependent variable is the response that is measured. Quantitative variables are any variables where the data represent amounts (e.g. External Validity in Research, Forming a Good Hypothesis for Scientific Research, Scientific Method Steps in Psychology Research, Psychology Research Jargon You Should Know, The Definition of Random Assignment According to Psychology, How the Experimental Method Works in Psychology, How Social Psychologists Conduct Their Research, Experimental Group in Psychology Experiments, Types of Variables in Psychology Research, How to Write an APA Method Section of a Research Paper, Wait List Control Groups in Psychology Experiments, Daily Tips for a Healthy Mind to Your Inbox, Types of variables, descriptive statistics, and sample size. Published on By contrast, the independent variable is the potential answer as to what is causing the change in the dependent variable. 1. Each of these is its own dependent variable with its own research question. 2011, Article ID 960583. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/960583. Causation: Two variables are causally related if changes in the value of one cause the other to change.. 6 Probabilistic causation means that the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable (X and Y) are such that X increases the probability of Y when all else is equal. For example: Your independent variable is social media use, and you assign groups to low, medium, and high levels of social media use to find out if there is a difference in hours of sleep per night. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2014.959374, Manocha, R., Black, D., Sarris, J., & Stough, C.(2011). In this case, we must state what we mean by the terms media violence and aggression as we will study them. December 2, 2022. Once you have defined your independent and dependent variables and determined whether they are categorical or quantitative, you will be able to choose the correct statistical test. So, the researcher goes to a nearby university and randomly selects both male and female athletes from several sports: track and field, volleyball, basketball, and football. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. They then indicate how much they liked it by pressing one of 5 buttons: didnt like at all, liked, somewhat liked, liked very much, loved it. The researchers believe that larger dilation indicates greater perceived attractiveness. Some people take vitamins every day. The article explains that the terms extraneous, nuisance, and confounding variables refer to any variable that can interfere with the ability to establish relationships between independent variables and dependent variables, and it describes ways to control for such confounds. Use this list of questions to check whether youre dealing with an independent variable: Check whether youre dealing with a dependent variable: Independent and dependent variables are generally used in experimental and quasi-experimental research. One is called the dependent variable, and the other is the independent variable. Required fields are marked *, This Article was Last Expert Reviewed on October 23, 2022 by Chris Drew, PhD. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU. With Then the crash experts rammed each car into a crash wall at the same speed. By varying the level of the independent variable and observing associated changes in the dependent variable, a researcher can conclude whether the independent variable affects the dependent variable or not. An example of a dependent variable is depression symptoms, which depends on the independent variable (type of therapy). If you determine the substance is necessary for proper nutrition, a follow-up experiment might determine how much of the chemical is needed. Studentsshould always cross-check any information on this site with their course teacher. The key word here is similar.. Women are more attracted to men without earrings than men with earrings. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. The amount of input the workers have over their work is the independent variable in this example. The presence/absence of the chemical is the independent variable. A business wants to determine if giving employees more control over how to do their work leads to increased job satisfaction. Seekprofessional input on your specific circumstances. Lack of sleep significantly affects learning in 10-year-old boys. Look at other experiments for examples and identify different types of independent variables. Variables you manipulate in order to affect the outcome of an experiment. They hire a sleep research lab to conduct the study. The only way to do that is to manipulate the independent variable and observe any changes in the dependent variable. 1. A variable that cant be directly measured, but that you represent via a proxy. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The researchers at the lab have their usual test volunteers sleep in individual rooms every night for one week. The health of the rat (whether it lives and reproduces) is the dependent variable. Epub 2021 Oct 25. You want to know which brand of microwave popcorn pops the best. So many studies have used so many different ways of measuring aggression. 4. Experiments have two fundamental features. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. This doesn't really make sense (unless you can't sleep because you are worried you failed a test, but that would be a different experiment). Your independent variable is the temperature of the room. When you collect quantitative data, the numbers you record represent real amounts that can be added, subtracted, divided, etc. While the study participants are sleeping, their heart rates and amount of time spent in deep sleep are recorded with high-tech equipment. Verywell Mind content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning; 2017. In these experimental studies, the independent variable was graphic video games, and the dependent variable was observed level of aggression. You will probably also have variables that you hold constant (control variables) in order to focus on your experimental treatment. from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/independent-and-dependent-variables/, Independent vs. This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). Independent variables are the variables that the experimenter changes to test their dependent variable. In other cases, researchers might find that changes in the independent variables have no effect on the variables that are being measured. Data is generally divided into two categories: A variable that contains quantitative data is a quantitative variable; a variable that contains categorical data is a categorical variable. . ANOVA tells you if the dependent variable changes according to the level of the independent variable. Kaliyadan F, Kulkarni V. Types of variables, descriptive statistics, and sample size. In this experiment, we have one independent and three dependent variables. It can be difficult to separate the true effect of the independent variable from the effect of the confounding variable. Is the variable manipulated, controlled, or used as a subject grouping method by the researcher? government site. Independent and Dependent Variable Examples, How to Tell the Independent and Dependent Variable Apart. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Are Independent and Dependent Variables?" This helps you to have confidence that your dependent variable results come solely from the independent variable manipulation. Another way to put it is the dependent variable is the output value and the independent variable is the input value. Other variations of an experiment might include having multiple levels of the independent variable. These terms are especially used in statistics, where you estimate the extent to which an independent variable change can explain or predict changes in the dependent variable. An official website of the United States government. These variables are created when you analyze data, not when you measure it. You plot bars for each treatment group before and after the treatment to show the difference in blood pressure. Changes in . A group of health scientists decides to conduct a study to determine if taking vitamins improves health. Because it would be unethical to expose a randomized group of people to high levels of vehicle exhaust,[1] a study comparing two populations with differential exposure to vehicle exhaust would rely on a natural experiment, or a situation in which this already occurs due to factors unrelated to the researchers. One room is painted mostly white with red trim and seats; one room is painted mostly white with blue trim and seats; and one room is painted mostly white with off-white trim and seats. Measurements of continuous or non-finite values. Accessibility The research participants are randomly assigned to either receive the independent variable (called the treatment condition), or not receive the independent variable (called the control condition). Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. In machine learning, independent variables are known as features. 2016 Sep;66:29-38. doi: 10.1016/j.jesp.2015.09.012. Design approaches to experimental mediation. ____________________________________________________________, I.V. An example of a dependent variable is how tall you are at different ages. Fortunately, there was a way to test this theory objectively. An independent variable is defines as the variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment. The independent variable is Mozart, and the dependent variable is exam scores. The dependent variable will always be the variable that is held constant. But there are many other ways of describing variables that help with interpreting your results. In a well-designed experimental study, the independent variable is the only important difference between the experimental (e.g., treatment) and control (e.g., placebo) groups. Wan L, Zha R, Ren J, Li Y, Zhao Q, Zuo H, Zhang X. Hum Brain Mapp. In addition, the scientists randomly assign half of the participants to take a set of vitamins, supplied by the researchers every day for 1 year. They randomly assign half of the participants to take the recommended dosage of their supplement every day for three months after each workout. For example, economists may want to find out what . A Dependent variable is what happens as a result of the independent variable. Its called independent because its not influenced by any other variables in the study. The independent variable is the brand of paper towel. After three months, we measure the stress levels of each person and compare the groups. For example, we might change the type of information (e.g., organized or random) given to participants to see what effect this might have on the amount of information remembered. Each version contains a different blend of specially developed chemicals. In this example, the color of the office is the independent variable. Click to reveal I.V._____________________________________________________________, D.V. Statistical models will estimate effect sizes for the independent variables. The company has prepared three versions of their crust that vary in crunchiness, they are: a little crunchy, very crunchy, and super crunchy. To gather information about plant responses over time, you can fill out the same data sheet every few days until the end of the experiment. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. You want to compare brands of paper towels, to see which holds the most liquid. What is the difference between quantitative and categorical variables? These alternative explanations are closely related to the concept of internal validity. Each participant sits in front of a computer screen and responds to questions on a survey. A large multinational cosmetics company wants to know if the color of a womans hair affects the level of perceived attractiveness in males. What type of data does the variable contain? Researchers want to determine if a new type of treatment will lead to a reduction in anxiety for patients living with social phobia. At the end of one year, the health of all participants is assessed, using blood pressure and cholesterol level as the key measurements. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted It's what changes as a result of the changes to the independent variable. (2010). Here the independent variable is the dose and the dependent variable is the frequency/intensity of symptoms . Although there are many variations of the experiment, generally speaking, it involves either the presence or absence of the independent variable and the observation of what happens to the dependent variable. Choosing a health behaviour theory or model for related research projects: a narrative review. Clarify mathematic question In mathematics, an equation is a statement that two things are equal. Dependent and independent variables. The different levels of the independent variable are called conditions. For example, if you are interested in the effect of a diet on health, you can use multiple measures of health: blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, pulse, and many more. Measures of central tendency in chaplaincy, health care, and related research. When you do correlational research, the terms dependent and independent dont apply, because you are not trying to establish a cause and effect relationship (causation). Bias is a systematic error in study design, subject recruitment, data collection, or analysis that results in a mistaken estimate of the true population parameter.[2]. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Blazing Angels or Resident Evil? Weiten, W. Psychology: Themes and Variations, 10th ed. Here are the definitions for independent and dependent variables, examples of each variable, and the explanation for how to graph them. Since then, there have been hundreds of studies conducted by psychologists and other researchers. Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author and educational consultant focused on helping students learn about psychology. Here, the amount of chemical would be the independent variable and the rat health would be the dependent variable. Pot size and soil type might affect plant survival as much or more than salt additions. Scribbr. *Note that sometimes a variable can work as more than one type! Revised on A confounding variable in the example of car exhaust and asthma would be differential exposure to other factors that increase respiratory issues, like cigarette smoke or particulates from factories. For example, in an experiment about the effect of nutrients on crop growth: Defining your variables, and deciding how you will manipulate and measure them, is an important part of experimental design. ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/independent-and-dependent-variable-examples-606828. The health of the plants (height, amount and size of flowers and fruit, color) is the dependent variable. An operational definition describes exactly what the independent variable is and how it is measured. The Mozart Effect and the mathematical connection, Journal of College Reading and Learning, 42(2), 51-66. https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2012.10850354. Although there are many types of bias, two common types are selection bias and information bias. This makes sense, but: Example: Your test score affects how long you sleep. During the first three months of the academic year, they randomly select some 5th-grade classrooms to listen to Mozart during their lessons and exams. If, say, y = x+3, then the value y can have depends on what the value of x is. Time of day has a significant effect on alertness. What is an example of an independent and a dependent variable? At the end of the survey, the screen shows one of the photos of the female. In statistics, dependent variables are also called: Response variables (they respond to a change in another variable) She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Brain morphology, harm avoidance, and the severity of excessive internet use. In other words, whether changes in an independent variable cause a change in a dependent variable. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Relate post: Effect Sizes in Statistics Predictor variables (they can be used to predict the value of a dependent variable), Right-hand-side variables (they appear on the right-hand side of a, Outcome variables (they represent the outcome you want to measure), Left-hand-side variables (they appear on the left-hand side of a regression equation). Select independent variables that you think will cause changes in another variable. You can also predict how much your dependent variable will change as a result of variation in the independent variable. In a study to determine whether how long a student sleeps affects test scores, the independent variable is the length of time spent sleeping while the dependent variable is the test score. Independent, dependent, and other variables in healthcare and chaplaincy research. One of the most popular forms of regression analysis is linear regression, which allows you to establish a linear relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. After many claims that listening to Mozart will make you smarter, a group of education specialists decides to put it to the test. SPICE (Setting, Perspective, Intervention/phenomenon of Interest, Comparison, Evaluation) Appropriate for : evaluating the outcomes of a service, project, or intervention Example: How long you sleep (independent variable) affects your test score (dependent variable). Of course, they would prefer that consumers enter and exit quickly to increase sales volume and profit. Careers, National Center for Biotechnology Information, Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Can I include more than one independent or dependent variable in a study? finishing places in a race), classifications (e.g. For example, in an experiment looking at the effects of studying on test scores, studying would be the independent variable. by Expected to influence the dependent variable, Doesn't change as a result of the experiment, Can be manipulated by researchers in order to study the dependent variable, Expected to be affected by the independent variable, Expected to change as a result of the experiment, Not manipulated by researchers; its changes occur as a result of the independent variable. Chaplaincy research: its value, its quality, and its future. To determine the effect that traffic patterns have on the air in a city, employees at the agency perform a study that assesses car usage and air quality in cities around the country. A variable that hides the true effect of another variable in your experiment. Your independent variable is a subject variable, namely the gender identity of the participants. One is called the dependent variable, and the other is the independent variable. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a29bcd96f01c31d Before Whats the definition of a dependent variable? There are three types of categorical variables: binary, nominal, and ordinal variables. Below are the key differences when looking at an independent variable vs. dependent variable. You are assessing how it responds to a change in the independent variable, so you can think of it as depending on the independent variable. It then proceeds to describe and discuss synonyms for the terms independent variable and dependent variable, including treatment, intervention, predictor, and risk factor, and synonyms for. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. We could measure blood pressure, or the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood, or by using a paper and pencil measure such as a questionnaire that asks them how much stress they feel. This is a quasi-experimental design because theres no random assignment. For example, if we want to explore whether high concentrations of vehicle exhaust impact incidence of asthma in children, vehicle exhaust is the independent variable while asthma is the dependent variable. The company wants to claim that when an athlete drinks Gatorade, their performance will improve. Generally, the independent variable goes on the x-axis (horizontal) and the dependent variable on the y-axis (vertical). You want to know which brand of fertilizer is best for your plants. The health of the rat (whether it lives and can reproduce) is the dependent [8] Examples of these variables include: The independent variable and dependent variable are used in a very specific type of scientific study called the experiment. Each athlete will run on a treadmill for one hour while their heart rate is tracked. The dependent variable is the outcome (or response) variable. A change in the independent variable directly causes a change in the dependent . The researchers identified 120 patients with relatively similar types of cancerous tumors in both size and stage of progression. ), 22(3), 255260. . Gatorade and Improved Athletic Performance, 15. People in the pizza business know that the crust is key. You find some and conclude that gender identity influences brain responses to infant cries. This is different than the independent variable in an experiment, which is a variable . If you want to know whether caffeine affects your appetite, the presence/absence of a given amount of caffeine would be the independent variable. Independent variables also have different levels. In an experiment, the researcher looks for the possible effect on the dependent variable that might be caused by changing the independent variable. and transmitted securely. height, weight, or age). (2012). Is the variable one that is being manipulated by the experimenters? The independent variable is the cause, and the dependent variable is the effect. Sensors on the crash dummy skulls allowed for a scientific analysis of how much damage a human skull would incur. The independent variable (IV) in psychology is the characteristic of an experiment that is manipulated or changed by researchers, not by other variables in the experiment. PMC The researchers record how much time elapses from the moment they enter the room to the moment they leave. Your email address will not be published. Nominal and categorical variables describe samples in groups based on counts that fall within each category, have no quantitative relationships, and cannot be ranked. Other research methodologies can reveal factors that are related to the dependent variable or associated with the dependent variable, but only when the independent variable is controlled by the researcher can causality be determined. You want to determine whether a chemical is essential for rat nutrition, so you design an experiment. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help What are independent and dependent variables? J Res Nurs. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Its called independent because its not influenced by any other variables in the study. Social class has a significant effect on IQ scores. 88.99.24.175 Your IP: Is the variable something that cannot be changed but that is not dependent on other variables in the experiment? Chemotherapy and Cancer A hospital is investigating the effectiveness of a new type of chemotherapy on cancer. Subscribe now and start your journey towards a happier, healthier you. Therefore, you could state that media violence is operationally defined (in your experiment) as exposure to a 15-minute film showing scenes of physical assault; aggression is operationally defined as levels of electrical shocks administered to a second participant in another room.
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