In a study, the temperature of an interview room was slowly raised to 100° F, and participants were given the opportunity to determine the difficulty of a task for someone they had interacted with previously. In this example, temperature functions as a(n) __________, while task difficulty score functions as a(n) __________.
A) dependent variable; independent variable
B) criterion variable; predictor variable
C) independent variable; dependent variable
D) predictor variable; independent variable

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In this example, the temperature is being manipulated and therefore functions as the independent variable, while the task difficulty score is being measured in response to the temperature change and functions as the dependent variable. Choice A is incorrect because the temperature is not dependent on the task difficulty score in this study. Choice B is incorrect because the difficulty score is not being used to predict anything, it is simply being measured. Choice D is incorrect because the task difficulty score is not being used as a predictor for anything.

In a Study, the Temperature of an Interview Room Was