In quantitative research, its good practice to use charts or graphs to visualize the results of studies. In an experiment on the effects of the type of diet on weight loss, for example, researchers might look at several different types of diet. by Variables are given a special name that only applies to experimental investigations. ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/independent-and-dependent-variable-examples-606828. 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. If you want to know whether caffeine affects your appetite, the presence/absence or amount of caffeine is the independent variable. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies The company wants to claim that when an athlete drinks Gatorade, their performance will improve. For example, in an experiment looking at the effects of studying on test scores, studying would be the independent variable. Here are the definitions for independent and dependent variables, examples of each variable, and the explanation for how to graph them. Amanda Tust is a fact-checker, researcher, and writer with a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Sometimes you may hear this variable called the "controlled variable" because it is the one that is changed. Then, you select an appropriate statistical test to test your hypothesis. Vehicle Exhaust and Cognitive Performance, Mastery Learning: 10 Examples, Strengths & Limitations. The independent variable is the condition that you change in an experiment. Measurements of continuous or non-finite values. They hire a sleep research lab to conduct the study. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The dependent variable (sometimes known as the responding variable) is what is being studied and measured in the experiment. Determining cause and effect is one of the most important parts of scientific research. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. You want to determine whether a chemical is essential for rat nutrition, so you design an experiment. Gatorade and Improved Athletic Performance, 15. A dependent variable is a variable whose value depends upon independent variable s. The dependent variable is what is being measured in an experiment or. The independent variable is the color of the room, and the dependent variable is the amount of time spent in the room eating. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. Revised on December 5, 2022. September 19, 2022 There are two types of quantitative variables: discrete and continuous. For example, if you're studying whether a change in temperature affects productivity, the independent variable would be the room temperature, and the dependent . So, they rent space in a large shopping mall and create three different simulated restaurant interiors of different colors. The teachers then compare the scores of each of the three groups of students. Performance & security by Cloudflare. In this example, the color of the office is the independent variable. Clarify mathematic question In mathematics, an equation is a statement that two things are equal. Keywords: Your email address will not be published. To what extent does remote working increase job satisfaction? We cite peer reviewed academic articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of our articles. Independent and Dependent Variable Examples, How to Tell the Independent and Dependent Variable Apart. For example, gender identity, ethnicity, race, income, and education are all important subject variables that social researchers treat as independent variables. Select independent variables that you think will cause changes in another variable. The amount of salt added to each plants water. The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). How someones age impacts their sleep quality, How different teaching methods impact learning outcomes. 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. A large multinational cosmetics company wants to know if the color of a womans hair affects the level of perceived attractiveness in males. Dave Cornell (PhD) and Peer Reviewed by Chris Drew (PhD), Definition of Independent and Dependent Variables, Examples of Independent and Dependent Variables, 1. Selection bias occurs when the procedures used to select subjects and others factors that influence participation in the study produce a result that is different from what would have been obtained if all members of the target population were included in the study. *Note that sometimes a variable can work as more than one type! A group of teachers is interested in which teaching method will work best for developing critical thinking skills. These concepts should not be confused with predictor and outcome variables. Personal Disord. This enables another psychologist to replicate your research and is essential in establishing reliability (achieving consistency in the results). An independent variable (IV) is what is manipulated in a scientific experiment to determine its effect on the dependent variable (DV). A sports medicine researcher has been hired by Gatorade to test the effects of its sports drink on athletic performance. It's what changes as a result of the changes to the independent variable. Test your understanding with the scientific method quiz. It's the outcome you're interested in measuring, and it 'depends' on your independent variable. confounds; dependent variable; independent variable; levels of measurement; mediation; moderation; risk factors. Sometimes varying the independent variables will result in changes in the dependent variables. Published on Although there are a lot of obvious limitations to this hypothetical, it is the first step. Instead, you can create a research design where you compare the outcomes of groups of participants with characteristics. Other types of variables have interchangeable terms. In this highly unrealistic study, the independent variable is vitamins, and the dependent variable is health, as measured by blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Type of light the tomato plant is grown under, Presence or absence of intermittent fasting, Presence or absence of medical marijuana use, Type of work environment (remote or in office). She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors. The independent variable is the variable the experimenter manipulates or changes and is assumed to directly affect the dependent variable. 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. Here are several examples of independent and dependent variables in experiments: 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. Chemotherapy and Cancer A hospital is investigating the effectiveness of a new type of chemotherapy on cancer. For example, allocating participants to drug or placebo conditions (independent variable) to measure any changes in the intensity of their anxiety (dependent variable). Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 20(4), 161170. Kaliyadan F, Kulkarni V. Types of variables, descriptive statistics, and sample size. Example: Independent variable levels You are studying the impact of a new medication on the blood pressure of patients with hypertension. 2015;21(1):39-49. doi: 10.1080/08854726.2014.989799. You think rising sea temperatures might affect the amount of algae in the water. This article begins by defining the term variable and the terms independent variable and dependent variable, providing examples of each. 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. At the end of the survey, the screen shows one of the photos of the female. In these cases you may call the preceding variable (i.e., the rainfall) the predictor variable and the following variable (i.e. PMC In this case, we must state what we mean by the terms media violence and aggression as we will study them. Stressful experiences significantly increase the likelihood of headaches. You want to compare brands of paper towels, to see which holds the most liquid. At the end of one year, the health of all participants is assessed, using blood pressure and cholesterol level as the key measurements. Quantitative Data Analysis 101: Methods, Techniques & Terminology Explained. For example: In a study of how different doses of a drug affect the severity of symptoms, a researcher could compare the frequency and intensity of symptoms when different doses are administered. An independent variable is the variable you manipulate, control, or vary in an experimental study to explore its effects. Discrete and continuous variables are two types of quantitative variables: If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the Cite this Scribbr article button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator. Researchers want to determine if a new type of treatment will lead to a reduction in anxiety for patients living with social phobia. The only way to do that is to manipulate the independent variable and observe any changes in the dependent variable. Seekprofessional input on your specific circumstances. The other half takes the same amount of something that looks the same but actually does nothing to the body. Salt tolerance in plants cannot be measured directly, but can be inferred from measurements of plant health in our salt-addition experiment. Chaplaincy research: its value, its quality, and its future. J Health Care Chaplain. For example, in a plant growth study, the independent variables might be soil moisture (continuous) and type of fertilizer (categorical). What is an example of an independent and a dependent variable? Linear regression is used to quantify the relationship between 1 independent (predictor) variables and a continuous dependent (outcome) variable. Sensors on the crash dummy skulls allowed for a scientific analysis of how much damage a human skull would incur. If you are having a hard time identifying which variable is the independent variable and which is the dependent variable, remember the dependent variable is the one affected by a change in the independent variable. The independent variable is the supplement, and the dependent variable is muscle mass. Is the variable one that is being manipulated by the experimenters? In the early days of airbags, automobile companies conducted a great deal of testing. Independent variable causes an effect on the dependent variable. Brain morphology, harm avoidance, and the severity of excessive internet use. Your dependent variable is the brain activity response to hearing infant cries. Before rolling out a new type of crust, the company decides to conduct some research on consumer preferences. Pritha Bhandari. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Review of General Psychology, 14(2), 68-81. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018941, Flannelly, L. T., Flannelly, K. J., & Jankowski, K. R. (2014). Is this variable measured as an outcome of the study? In experiments, you manipulate independent variables directly to see how they affect your dependent variable. Researchers are trying to determine if changes to the independent variable (studying) result in significant changes to the dependent variable (the test results). These alternative explanations are closely related to the concept of internal validity. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Are Independent and Dependent Variables?" 2023 Simply Psychology - Study Guides for Psychology Students. 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 company has prepared three versions of their crust that vary in crunchiness, they are: a little crunchy, very crunchy, and super crunchy. For example, in Darley . A variable that hides the true effect of another variable in your experiment. 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. There can be all different types of independent variables. For the following hypotheses, name the IV and the DV. Does this variable come before the other variable in time? In an experiment, one group of workers performs a task in a yellow room while another performs the same task in a blue room. by At the end of three months, the muscle mass of all participants is measured. Example: How long you sleep (independent variable) affects your test score (dependent variable). The researchers record how much time elapses from the moment they enter the room to the moment they leave. Simply Scholar Ltd. 20-22 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU, 2023 Simply Scholar, Ltd. All rights reserved, Variables are given a special name that only applies to. The dependent variable would be the amount of liquid absorbed by the paper towel. You have three groups: men, women and other. Some examples of variables that you may need to control include: Temperature Time of day Lighting Stress Noise or distractions Which specific variables need to be controlled for will vary tremendously depending on the research project at hand, so there's no generic list of control variables to consult. Generally, the independent variable goes on the x-axis (horizontal) and the dependent variable on the y-axis (vertical). A hospital is investigating the effectiveness of a new type of chemotherapy on cancer. A confounding variable, also called a confounder or confounding factor, is a third variable in a study examining a potential cause-and-effect relationship. The amount of skull damage of dummies in cars with airbags was then compared with those without airbags. In this study, the independent variable is the concrete mixture, and the dependent variable is the amount of weight at collapse. Half are given Gatorade, and the other half are given water, but no one knows what they are given because both liquids have been colored. National Library of Medicine The dependent variable is the variable being tested and measured in an experiment and is dependent on the independent variable. They already have a pool of consumers that fit their customer profile and they often use them for testing. With In addition to being bad for the environment, car exhaust may cause damage to the brain and impair cognitive performance. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 27). A confounding variable is related to both the supposed cause and the supposed effect of the study. Epub 2022 Mar 25. Any measurement of plant health and growth: in this case, plant height and wilting. ThoughtCo. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal How do we define young, old, or memory? 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). It further explains that even though intervening, mediating, and moderating variables explicitly alter the relationship between independent variables and dependent variables, they help to explain the causal relationship between them. So for y=x+3, when you input x=2, the output is y = 5. These variables are created when you analyze data, not when you measure it. In an experiment, one group of students attends an after-school tutoring session twice a week while another group of students does not receive this additional assistance. The first is that the researchers manipulate, or systematically vary, the level of the independent variable. Based on your results, you note that the placebo and low-dose groups show little difference in blood pressure, while the high-dose group sees substantial improvements. Educators, social scientists, and parents were shocked at how graphic games were becoming. December 2, 2022. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a29bcd96f01c31d Next, they test the strength of each bridge by placing progressively more weight on its center until the bridge collapses. Well, there are a lot of ways. 2008;14(1):3-19. doi: 10.1080/08854720802053796. I.V._____________________________________________________________, D.V. Rebecca Bevans. This helps you to have confidence that your dependent variable results come solely from the independent variable manipulation. Its the outcome youre interested in measuring, and it depends on your independent variable. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2014.959374, https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2012.10850354. Based on your findings, you can estimate the degree to which your independent variable variation drives changes in your dependent variable. But there are many other ways of describing variables that help with interpreting your results. Each athlete will run on a treadmill for one hour while their heart rate is tracked. The independent variables in a particular experiment all depend on the hypothesis and what the experimenters are investigating. Each of these is a separate independent variable. 8600 Rockville Pike If you have the variables in the wrong order, the sentence won't make sense. 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. The relationship makes sense and identifies the independent variable as phone use and the dependent variable as sleep quality. 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. You find some and conclude that gender identity influences brain responses to infant cries. 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. In most math . So, they create three bridge molds that are identical in every way. Each version contains a different blend of specially developed chemicals. February 3, 2022 J Res Nurs. Changes in . The independent variable in your experiment would be the brand of paper towel. What are independent and dependent variables? Required fields are marked *, This Article was Last Expert Reviewed on October 23, 2022 by Chris Drew, PhD. The key word here is similar.. In another example, the hypothesis Young participants will have significantly better memories than older participants is not operationalized. Below is an example of using independent and dependent variables in an ecological study: A government agency handles environmental care in a city. 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. 2. the mud) the outcome variable. . Although there are many types of bias, two common types are selection bias and information bias. 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. 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. Both the independent variable and dependent variable are examined in an experiment using the scientific method, so it's important to know what they are and how to use them. Their muscle mass is measured, and only those with a lower level are selected for the study, leaving a total of 80 study participants. Published on What is the difference between quantitative and categorical variables? Car pollution is a concern for a lot of reasons. Is this variable dependent on another variable in the study? Variables that represent the outcome of the experiment. The dependent variable (height) depends on the independent variable (age). Types of Variables in Research & Statistics | Examples. Independent variables are the variables that the experimenter changes to test their dependent variable. (2010). This is a quasi-experimental design because theres no random assignment. The other variables in the sheet cant be classified as independent or dependent, but they do contain data that you will need in order to interpret your dependent and independent variables. The health of the rat (whether it lives and can reproduce) is the dependent Here, the amount of chemical would be the independent variable and the rat health would be the dependent variable. ____________________________________________________________. For example, star ratings on product reviews are ordinal (1 to 5 stars), but the average star rating is quantitative. 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