When a person applies to rent a house, he/she sometimes is required to consent to a credit check along with his/her application. Landlords know that there is a relationship between credit score and likelihood of paying rent on time. In this situation, paying rent on time is best characterized as the ____ variable.
A) predictor
B) criterion
C) dependent
D) independent

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best choice is criterion because it is the variable that is being predicted or measured, in this case, the likelihood of paying rent on time. The credit score would be the predictor variable as it is being used to predict the criterion variable. The terms "dependent" and "independent" refer to the relationship between two variables, with the dependent variable being affected by the independent variable, and this terminology does not accurately capture the relationship between credit score and paying rent on time.

When a Person Applies to Rent a House, He/she Sometimes