A study tests the hypothesis that the provision of social work intervention will reduce the school dropout rate. It finds that social work intervention reduces the dropout rate only of children whose families are experiencing high levels of family stress. In this study, what type of variable is "level of family stress"?
A) independent variable.
B) dependent variable.
C) moderating variable.
D) It could be an independent or dependent variable; it depends on whether it is stated first or second in the hypothesis.

Question

A study tests the hypothesis that the provision of social work intervention will reduce the school dropout rate. It finds that social work intervention reduces the dropout rate only of children whose families are experiencing high levels of family stress. In this study, what type of variable is "level of family stress"?​
A) ​independent variable.
B) ​dependent variable.
C) ​moderating variable.
D) ​It could be an independent or dependent variable; it depends on whether it is stated first or second in the hypothesis.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

"Level of family stress" is a moderating variable because it affects the relationship between the independent variable (social work intervention) and the dependent variable (school dropout rate). Specifically, it modifies the effectiveness of the intervention for certain groups of children (those whose families are experiencing high levels of family stress).

A Study Tests the Hypothesis That the Provision of Social