Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser is a health psychologist studying whether stress impairs the body's ability to heal. In the highly stressful week before final exams, Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser gives dental students an oral punch biopsy in which a small sample of gum tissue is removed. She then records the number of days for the oral wound to completely heal. Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser gives the same dental students a second oral punch biopsy during summer vacation. Once again, she records the number of days until the oral wound completely heals. What is the independent variable in this study?
A) number of days for the oral wound to heal
B) whether the oral wound was created during a high stress or low stress period
C) whether the dental students were working or relaxing during the summer vacation
D) average number of hours of sleep the students experienced in the day immediately following the gum wound

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is whether the oral wound was created during a high stress or low stress period. This is the variable that the researcher manipulates in order to observe its effect on the dependent variable, which is the number of days for the oral wound to completely heal. The other options listed are either irrelevant to the study or are potential confounding variables that may need to be controlled for but are not the independent variable.

Dr Kiecolt-Glaser Is a Health Psychologist Studying Whether Stress Impairs