What Is an Independent Variable?
The independent variable (IV) is the characteristic of a psychology experiment that is manipulated or changed by researchers, not by other variables in the experiment.
For example, in an experiment looking at the effects of studying on test scores, studying would be the independent variable. Researchers are trying to determine if changes to the independent variable (studying) result in significant changes to the dependent variable (the test results).
Identifying the Independent Variable
If you are having trouble identifying the independent variables of an experiment, there are some questions that may help:
- Is the variable one that is being manipulated by the experimenters?
- Are researchers trying to identify how the variable influences another variable?
- Is the variable something that cannot be changed but that is not dependent on other variables in the experiment?
Researchers are interested in investigating the effects of the independent variable on other variables, which are known as dependent variables (DV). The independent variable is one that the researchers either manipulate (such as the amount of something) or that already exists but is not dependent upon other variables (such as the age of the participants).
Types
There can by all different types of independent variables. The independent variables in a particular experiment all depend on the hypothesis and what the experimenters are investigating.
Independent variables also have different levels. In some experiments, there may only be one level of an IV. In other cases, multiple levels of the IV may be used to look at the range of effects that the variable may have.
In an experiment on the effects of the type of diet on weight loss, for example, researchers might look at several different types of diet. Each type of diet that the experimenters look at would be a different level of the independent variable while weight loss would always be the dependent variable.
Uses
In order to understand how the independent variable is used in experiments, it can be helpful to look at some different examples.
In Organizations
A researcher wants to determine if the color of an office has any effect on worker productivity. In an experiment, one group of workers performs a task in a yellow room while another performs the same task in a blue room. In this example, the color of the office is the independent variable.
In the Workplace
A business wants to determine if giving employees more control over how to do their work leads to increased job satisfaction. In an experiment, one group of workers is given a great deal of input in how they perform their work, while the other group is not. The amount of input the workers have over their work is the independent variable in this example.
In Educational Research
Educators are interested in whether participating in after-school math tutoring can increase scores on standardized math exams. In an experiment, one group of students attends an after-school tutoring session twice a week while another group of students does not receive this additional assistance. In this case, participation in after-school math tutoring is the independent variable.
In Mental Health Research
Researchers want to determine if a new type of treatment will lead to a reduction in anxiety for patients living with social phobia. In an experiment, some volunteers receive the new treatment, another group receives a different treatment, and a third group receives no treatment. The independent variable in this example is the type of therapy.
REFERENCES
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-independent-variable-2795278#:~:text=The%20independent%20variable%20(IV)%20is,would%20be%20the%20independent%20variable.
https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/independent-and-dependent-variables/
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