Final answer:
In the context of whether amount of sleep affects math scores, the independent variable is amount of sleep and the dependent variable is math scores. The independent variable is what is manipulated in an experiment, and the dependent variable is what is measured.
Step-by-step explanation:
Are math scores affected by the amount of sleep a student gets? The correct identification of the independent and dependent variables is: Independent variable: amount of sleep; Dependent variable: math scores. This means that math scores (the outcome of interest) are expected to change in response to the amount of sleep a student gets.
The independent variable is what is manipulated or varied in an experiment, while the dependent variable is what is measured or observed. For example, if we study how the amount of sleep affects math scores, we are interested in whether changing sleep patterns will result in different math scores.
Other examples illustrating this concept include studies determining the effect of one's gender on rate of income, the impact of religion on family size, or how social class is influenced by level of education