Dr. Imanut wants to examine whether a new drug increases the maze running performance of older rats.  Just like aging humans, older rats show signs of poorer memory for new things.  Dr. Imanut teaches two groups of older rats to find a piece of tasty rat chow in the maze.  One group of rats is given the new drug while they are learning the maze.  The second group is not given the drug.  One week after having learned the maze he retests the rats and records how long it takes them to find the rat chow.

What is the independent variable? Hint:  What are you in direct control of – what is being manipulated by the experimenter? 

Dr. Imanut wants to examine whether a new drug increases the maze running performance of older rats.  Just like aging humans, older rats show signs of poorer memory for new things.  Dr. Imanut teaches two groups of older rats to find a piece of tasty rat chow in the maze.  One group of rats is given the new drug while they are learning the maze.  The second group is not given the drug.  One week after having learned the maze he retests the rats and records how long it takes them to find the rat chow.

What is the dependent variable?  Hint:  What was the result or what was out of the experimenter’s control? 

A researcher wanted to study the effects of sleep deprivation on physical coordination.  The researcher selected 25 year-old male college students and deprived some of the subjects to either 24, 36, or 45 hours of sleep.

In the present study the independent variable was:

A researcher wanted to study the effects of sleep deprivation on physical coordination.  The researcher selected 25 year-old male college students and deprived some of the subjects to either 24, 36, or 45 hours of sleep.

In the present study the dependent variable was:

A researcher wanted to know whether the number of people present would influence subjects' judgments on a simple perceptual task.  In each case the other members of the group gave an incorrect answer.  The researcher then noted whether the subject conformed to the group decision.

In the present study the independent variable was:

A researcher wanted to know whether the number of people present would influence subjects' judgments on a simple perceptual task.  In each case the other members of the group gave an incorrect answer.  The researcher then noted whether the subject conformed to the group decision.

In the present study the independent variable was:

An investigator had 60 subjects watch a videotaped re-enactment of a bank robbery.   Half of the subjects were asked by a police investigator to recall the event, while the remaining subjects were interviewed by a police investigator while they were hypnotized.

In the present study the independent variable was:

An investigator had 60 subjects watch a videotaped re-enactment of a bank robbery.   Half of the subjects were asked by a police investigator to recall the event, while the remaining subjects were interviewed by a police investigator while they were hypnotized.

In the present study the dependent variable was:

A researcher was interested in the effects of reward on intrinsic motivation.  Some children were told that they would be given a special award for drawing with magic markers (an activity they already enjoyed).  Other children were simply asked to draw with the magic markers.  One week later, the children were unobtrusively observed for how much time they spent drawing with the markers.  The children who expected and received a reward for drawing with the markers were less likely to draw with them later.

 In the present study the independent variable was:

A researcher was interested in the effects of reward on intrinsic motivation.  Some children were told that they would be given a special award for drawing with magic markers (an activity they already enjoyed).  Other children were simply asked to draw with the magic markers.  One week later, the children were unobtrusively observed for how much time they spent drawing with the markers.  The children who expected and received a reward for drawing with the markers were less likely to draw with them later.

In the present study the dependent variable was:

In an investigation of the fundamental attribution error, subjects were given a speech to read that either favored or opposed Fidel Castro, the communist leader of Cuba.  Subjects were told that the speech was written by a student who had been assigned to the position taken in the paper (that is, the student writing the speech had no choice on which position to take).  Nevertheless, subjects believed that the student who wrote the pro-Castro speech had positive attitudes toward Castro, while subjects who read the anti-Castro paper believed the writer had negative attitudes toward Castro.

In the present study the independent variable was:

In an investigation of the fundamental attribution error, subjects were given a speech to read that either favored or opposed Fidel Castro, the communist leader of Cuba.  Subjects were told that the speech was written by a student who had been assigned to the position taken in the paper (that is, the student writing the speech had no choice on which position to take).  Nevertheless, subjects believed that the student who wrote the pro-Castro speech had positive attitudes toward Castro, while subjects who read the anti-Castro paper believed the writer had negative attitudes toward Castro.

In the present study the dependent variable was:

Within a classroom setting, subjects were asked to listen to a guest instructor.  All subjects were given a description of the instructor.  Some subjects read a description containing the phrase “People who know him consider him to be a rather cold person...”, while other people read a description where the word “warm” was substituted for the word cold (otherwise, the descriptions were identical).  After the lecture, subjects were asked to rate the instructor.  Subjects who were told the instructor was warm gave him more favorable ratings compared to subjects who were told that the instructor was cold.

In the present study the independent variable was:

Within a classroom setting, subjects were asked to listen to a guest instructor.  All subjects were given a description of the instructor.  Some subjects read a description containing the phrase “People who know him consider him to be a rather cold person...”, while other people read a description where the word “warm” was substituted for the word cold (otherwise, the descriptions were identical).  After the lecture, subjects were asked to rate the instructor.  Subjects who were told the instructor was warm gave him more favorable ratings compared to subjects who were told that the instructor was cold.

In the present study the dependent variable was:

Subjects watched a videotape of a woman taking an SAT-like test.  In all cases, she correctly answered 15 out of 30 questions.  But subjects who observed a pattern of initial success followed by failure perceived the woman as more intelligent than did those who observed the opposite pattern of failure followed by success.

In the present study the independent variable was:

Subjects watched a videotape of a woman taking an SAT-like test.  In all cases, she correctly answered 15 out of 30 questions.  But subjects who observed a pattern of initial success followed by failure perceived the woman as more intelligent than did those who observed the opposite pattern of failure followed by success.

In the present study the dependent variable was:

Subjects read about a woman who used a particular title, and then rated her on a number of traits.  When the woman used the title Ms. rather than Miss or Mrs., she was assumed to be more assertive, achievement oriented, and dynamic, but also cold, unpopular, and unlikely to have a happy marriage.

In the present study the independent variable was:

Subjects read about a woman who used a particular title, and then rated her on a number of traits.  When the woman used the title Ms. rather than Miss or Mrs., she was assumed to be more assertive, achievement oriented, and dynamic, but also cold, unpopular, and unlikely to have a happy marriage.

In the present study the dependent variable was:

People were randomly approached on the street by a stranger and were asked to use his camera to take a picture of him for a school project.  For half of the subjects, the camera didn’t work--the stranger looked concerned, said that the camera was rather delicate, asked the subject if he touched any of the dials, and announced that it would have to be fixed.  For the other half of the subjects, the camera worked fine.  Further down the street, a woman dropped a file folder of papers.  Forty percent of the subjects who had no broken-camera experience helped the woman pick up her papers, while 80% of the subjects who were led to believe that they broke the woman’s camera helped. 

In the present study the independent variable was:

People were randomly approached on the street by a stranger and were asked to use his camera to take a picture of him for a school project.  For half of the subjects, the camera didn’t work--the stranger looked concerned, said that the camera was rather delicate, asked the subject if he touched any of the dials, and announced that it would have to be fixed.  For the other half of the subjects, the camera worked fine.  Further down the street, a woman dropped a file folder of papers.  Forty percent of the subjects who had no broken-camera experience helped the woman pick up her papers, while 80% of the subjects who were led to believe that they broke the woman’s camera helped. 

 In the present study the dependent variable was: