Skinner discovered that a pigeon will peck at a button more often if the pecking is rewarded with a food pellet. In Skinner's study, the food pellet is the ________ variable.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The food pellet is manipulated by Skinner and is therefore the independent variable, as it is believed to cause changes in the pigeon's behavior (i.e. increased pecking at the button). The dependent variable is the measure of behavior (i.e. number of button pecks) that is being affected by the independent variable. The other answer choices (B and D) do not accurately describe the role of the food pellet in this study.

Skinner Discovered That a Pigeon Will Peck at a Button