Volunteers for a human performance study were randomly divided into two groups. The first group had their flexibility measured in the morning after a short meditation session while the second group had their flexibility measured in the afternoon with no previous meditation session. The flexibility scores of the two groups were compared.
In this study, the explanatory variable is:
A) the volunteer's flexibility score.
B) whether the volunteer had a meditation session.
C) the placebo.
D) a lurking variable.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The explanatory variable in this study is whether the volunteer had a meditation session or not, as this variable is being intentionally manipulated to study its effect on flexibility scores. The flexibility score is the response variable being measured. The placebo is not relevant in this study, and there is no indication of a lurking variable.

Volunteers for a Human Performance Study Were Randomly Divided into Two