Question

In Study A, a researcher wants to explain what variables lead to people holding different party identification, i.e., why are some people Democrats, and others are Republicans. In Study B, a researcher wants to explain what effects political party identification has on the views of people concerning political issues. What kind of variable is party identification in these studies?

a)An independent variable in Study A and a dependent variable in Study B
b)An independent variable in both studies
c)A dependent variable in both studies
d)A dependent variable in Study A and an independent variable in Study B

Answer 1

In Study A, party identification is a dependent variable, while in Study B, it's an independent variable.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Study A, party identification is a dependent variable because the study aims to explain different variables that lead to people holding various party identifications, like being Democrats or Republicans. Here, party identification is the outcome being measured, which is dependent on other variables (like demographics, socioeconomic status, etc.). Conversely, in Study B, party identification is an independent variable as the research focuses on the effect that political party identification has on people's views on various political issues. In this study, political views are the outcome that depend on the variable of party identification.