AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Independent variables are what we expect will influence dependent variables. A Dependent variable is what happens as a result of the independent variable.

Detailed explanation-2: -Variables are given a special name that only applies to experimental investigations. One is called the dependent variable and the other the independent variable. The independent variable is the variable the experimenter manipulates or changes, and is assumed to have a direct effect on the dependent variable.

Detailed explanation-3: -Dependent and Independent Variables An independent variable, sometimes called an experimental or predictor variable, is a variable that is being manipulated in an experiment in order to observe the effect on a dependent variable, sometimes called an outcome variable.

Detailed explanation-4: -You can think of independent and dependent variables in terms of cause and effect: an independent variable is the variable you think is the cause, while a dependent variable is the effect. In an experiment, you manipulate the independent variable and measure the outcome in the dependent variable.