A researcher asks people to drink coffee before or after reading an essay,and later compares the memory of the two groups.What is the independent variable in this experiment?

Question

A researcher asks people to drink coffee before or after reading an essay,and later compares the memory of the two groups.What is the independent variable in this experiment?​

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this experiment is the time of drinking coffee as it is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher (i.e. before or after reading the essay) to examine its effect on memory performance. The nature of the essay, memory performances, and brand of coffee are all potential dependent variables that may be influenced by the independent variable (time of drinking coffee) and are therefore not considered independent variables.

A Researcher Asks People to Drink Coffee Before or After