When a subject variable is used as an independent variable and differences occur between groups on the dependent measure, what can be concluded?
A)the independent variable caused the differences to occur, assuming there are no confounds
B)the two groups performed differently
C)in this case, the subject variable must be a dependent variable, not an independent variable
D)because a subject variable is being used, nothing at all can be concluded

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a subject variable is used as an independent variable, it means that the groups differ based on some inherent characteristic (e.g., age, gender). Therefore, if differences occur on the dependent measure, it can be concluded that the two groups performed differently, but causation cannot be inferred.

When a Subject Variable Is Used as an Independent Variable