Final answer:
The independent variable in an experimental study is what you are controlling or manipulating to observe its effect on the dependent variable, which is the variable being measured.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of an experimental study, the independent variable is the one that you are controlling or manipulating. This is because the independent variable is the 'driver' variable, the one creating change. In a research experiment, the independent variable is directly manipulated or controlled by the experimenter to test how this change affects the dependent variable, which is the variable being measured or observed. The dependent variable is known as the 'receiving' variable, as it is the one that is changed or affected by the independent variable.
For example, if a scientist is studying how temperature affects coat color in rabbits, the temperature would be the independent variable and the coat color would be the dependent variable. The scientist would manipulate the temperature and observe the changes in coat color.