Final answer:
The independent variable in this study is music genre. The researcher randomly assigns male participants to listen to either rap music or classical music and measures their extent of staring at images of women's bodies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The independent variable in this study is music genre. The researcher randomly assigns male participants to either listen to rap music or classical music. The dependent variable is the extent to which the men stare at images of women's bodies that are presented on a computer screen. By manipulating the music genre, the researcher can observe its influence on objectification of women.