In one study described in the textbook, participants who experienced a 15-minute period of waking rest showed better retention of newly learned material than did participants who played a game for 15 minutes (Dewar, et al., 2012). In this study, the _____ variable is _____.
A)dependent; participants' activity during the 15-minute interval
B)dependent; participants' retention of the material
C)experimental; participants' activity during the 15-minute interval
D)independent; participants' retention of the material

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable being measured, which in this case is the participants' retention of the material. The independent variable is the variable being manipulated, which is not explicitly stated in the given information but can be inferred to be the type of activity participants engage in during the 15-minute interval. Therefore, neither A nor C are correct. Answer B correctly identifies the dependent variable, participants' retention of the material, while D incorrectly identifies the independent variable as participants' retention of the material.

In One Study Described in the Textbook, Participants Who Experienced