Scenario A. A researcher is interested in understanding how stress influences cognition (the ability to think and reason). She recruits participants from a group of theater majors at her university. She then assigns participants to one of two groups: group 1 engages in a stressful task in which they have to prepare and deliver a speech in front of a group of strangers, and group 2 engages in a non-stressful task, in which they watch a short video clip about baking. She then measures the participant’s cognition by having them complete a moderately difficult crossword puzzle. What is the dependent variable for Scenario A?
A. Number of people
B. The Theater Majors
C. Stress task vs. no stress task
D. Crossword Puzzle Performance

D. Crossword Puzzle Performance

Explanation:

In experiments, we have the Independent and Dependent variables. The dependent variable is the variable being measured while the independent variable influences the dependent variable and can be manipulated by the exprimenter. In the scenario above, the Independent variable is the stress task vs. no stress task which is manipulated by the researcher as he has the power to assign the participants to either groups.

The effect of the stress task would influence the performance of the participants at the crossword puzzle which is a measure of cognition. Therefore, the later becomes the dependent variable in the research because the cognition ability reflected in the crossword puzzle performance is the variable being measured.

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