Question

Using an experimental design, a researcher manipulated the amount of sleep a group of volunteers had before taking a difficult early morning exam. Some research participants were permitted to 8 hours of sleep, some 5 hours, and some 2 hours. All participants took the same exam, and all took it at 7 am. The data indicate that the group that slept 8 hours achieved the highest average score, and that the average for those who slept only 2 hours was lowest. In this experiment, the dependent variable is what:

a) The amount of sleep
b) The time of day
c) The exam difficulty
d) The exam scores

Answer 1

d) The exam scores, as they are the variable being measured in response to the manipulated variable, which is the amount of sleep.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is option d) The exam scores. In experimental design, the dependent variable is the variable that is being measured to see if it is affected by the manipulation of the independent variable.

In this study, the amount of sleep (8 hours, 5 hours, and 2 hours) is the independent variable because it was manipulated by the researcher. The dependent variable is therefore the exam scores, as they represent the outcome that is measured in response to the different amounts of sleep the participants received.

The objective of the experiment was to determine if the amount of sleep affects the performance on early morning exams, which is why the exam scores are the focus of measurement.