The variable manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable is known as what?

• A. Intervening Variable
• B. Control Variable
• C. Independent Variable
• D. Dependent Variable

Answer: (C)

In experiments, you deliberately change one variable to see how it affects the outcome. That changed variable is the independent variable. The thing you measure in response is the dependent variable.

For example, if you want to know whether different reinforcement schedules change how often a behavior occurs, the reinforcement schedule you manipulate is the independent variable, and the rate of the behavior is the dependent variable. A control variable would be something you keep the same across conditions to avoid confounding effects, like session length. An intervening (mediating) variable would be a mechanism that explains how the change leads to the outcome, not the variable you actively manipulate.