Final answer:
The experimenter manipulates the independent variable in an experiment to determine its effect on the dependent variable. Controlled conditions allow researchers to make causal inferences about behavior or other responses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The particular aspect of the environment that the experimenter manipulates to find out whether it affects the subject's behavior is known as the independent variable. In an experiment, this type of scientific investigation involves controlled conditions wherein the researcher changes the independent variable to observe its effect on the dependent variable. A classic experimental study involves carefully managing extraneous variables and solely manipulating the independent variable to deliver clear, causal results about behavioral or other types of responses.
For example, in the context of education, if a researcher wants to determine how the use of technology in the classroom affects student learning, they would manipulate the type (amount or kind) of technology used—making it the independent variable. Consequently, they would then measure student learning outcomes, which constitute the dependent variable, to assess the effects of the technological intervention. It's imperative to control other factors that may influence the dependent variable in order to attribute any observed changes in the dependent variable directly to the manipulation of the independent variable.