A researcher studying the results of the most recent election hypothesizes that people who attend church regularly were more likely to oppose same sex marriage than non-church goers. In this study, the independent variable is best described as ______.
A) the results of the most recent election
B) beliefs regarding same sex marriage
C) people who attend church regularly
D) church attendance

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is being manipulated or studied to see if it has an effect on the dependent variable. In this case, the independent variable is church attendance, as the researcher is interested in whether attending church regularly affects attitudes toward same sex marriage. The dependent variable is beliefs regarding same sex marriage, as this is the variable being measured to see if it is influenced by the independent variable of church attendance. The results of the election may be related to the dependent variable, but they are not the variable being manipulated or studied in this hypothesis.

A Researcher Studying the Results of the Most Recent Election