Dependent variable is

Dependent variable is

• A. The variable whose variation must be explained
• B. The variable believed to cause variation in another variable
• C. A fixed attribute
• D. The population parameter

Answer: (A)

The dependent variable is the outcome you measure to see the effect of something you’re studying. It’s the variable whose variation your theory or model aims to explain and predict, and it’s the one that tends to change in response to changes in another factor. The best choice captures that idea: the variable whose variation must be explained. In research, this is what you observe and analyze to determine whether your intervention, treatment, or other factors had an impact. By contrast, the thing you manipulate or categorize to see its effect is the independent variable, not the dependent one. A fixed attribute isn’t varying within the study, so it wouldn’t be the target of explanation. A population parameter describes a characteristic of the entire population, not the variable you’re measuring in the sample study.

The dependent variable is the outcome you measure to see the effect of something you’re studying. It’s the variable whose variation your theory or model aims to explain and predict, and it’s the one that tends to change in response to changes in another factor.

The best choice captures that idea: the variable whose variation must be explained. In research, this is what you observe and analyze to determine whether your intervention, treatment, or other factors had an impact.

By contrast, the thing you manipulate or categorize to see its effect is the independent variable, not the dependent one. A fixed attribute isn’t varying within the study, so it wouldn’t be the target of explanation. A population parameter describes a characteristic of the entire population, not the variable you’re measuring in the sample study.