Question

A researcher would like to evaluate the claim that large doses of Vitamin C can help prevent the common cold. One group of participants is given 500 mg of Vitamin C (500mg per day) and a second group is given a placebo (sugar pill). The researcher records the number of colds each individual experiences during the 3-month winter season. a. Identify the dependent variable for this study.

b. Is the dependent variable discreet or continuous?
c. What scale of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio) is used to measure the dependent variable.

Answer 1

a. The dependent variable for this study is the "number of colds each individual experiences during the 3-month winter season" because it depends on the doses of vitamins and placebo.

b. The dependent variable is discrete because the number of colds is like 1,2,3,... so on.

c. The scale of measurement of the dependent variable is Ratio because the number of cold experiences can be 0.