In a study of the effects of marijuana on a learning task, participants are asked to smoke a "cigarette" before learning how to complete a task. Some participants smoke regular cigarettes while others smoke cigarettes injected with THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana). The errors the participants made while doing the learning task is called the __________ variable.
A) dependent
B) independent
C) control
D) experimental

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable that is measured or observed by the researcher to determine the effects of the independent variable (in this case, smoking a regular or THC-injected cigarette) on the outcome of the learning task. The errors made during the task are what is being measured and are therefore the dependent variable. Control and experimental variables refer to other aspects of the study, while the independent variable is the variable being manipulated (in this case, the type of cigarette smoked).

In a Study of the Effects of Marijuana on a Learning