A researcher wants to know whether eating chocolate makes people nervous. Some participants are given two bars of chocolate to eat and some are given no chocolate at all, and then all of the participants are tested for nervousness an hour later. In this experiment, the amount of chocolate eaten:
A) would be a dependent variable.
B) would be a placebo.
C) would be an independent variable.
D) may be either an independent or dependent variable.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In this experiment, the researcher is manipulating the amount of chocolate given to the participants, making it the independent variable. The dependent variable would be the level of nervousness observed in the participants. The placebo would be a substance that is made to look like chocolate but contains no active ingredients, and is given to some participants as a control.

A Researcher Wants to Know Whether Eating Chocolate Makes People