To investigate the effects of alcohol on driving, an experimenter gave people different amounts of alcohol and then placed them in a driving simulator with instructions to press the brake whenever they saw a red light. In this study, the independent variable was ____ and the dependent variable was ____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is the amount of alcohol given to the participants (as the experimenter is manipulating this variable), while the dependent variable is the time taken to press the brake (as it is expected to change in response to the amount of alcohol consumed). Option A is incorrect because the participants are supposed to press the brake whenever they see a red light, so whether they saw the red light is not manipulated or measured. Option B is incorrect because the amount of alcohol is the independent variable, not the dependent variable. Option C is incorrect because "whether they saw the red light" is not a manipulated variable, and the amount of alcohol is the independent variable.

To Investigate the Effects of Alcohol on Driving, an Experimenter