Which of the following best describes the independent variable in a research design?

• A. The variable that is manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable.
• B. A variable that arises as a result of the manipulation of other variables.
• C. The variable that is measured to assess the outcome of the experiment.
• D. A variable that is held constant to prevent it from influencing the results.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the role of variables in research design. In an experiment, variables are elements that can change or be changed and are crucial for testing hypotheses.
2. Step 2: Identify the independent variable (IV). The IV is the variable that the researcher deliberately changes or manipulates to observe its effect on another variable.
3. Step 3: Differentiate the independent variable from the dependent variable (DV). The DV is the variable that is measured or observed to see how it responds to changes in the IV.
4. Step 4: Recognize other types of variables such as extraneous variables, which are held constant to prevent them from affecting the outcome, and confounding variables, which can unintentionally influence the results.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the independent variable is best described as the variable manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable, distinguishing it from variables that are measured, arise as a result, or are held constant.