Trinity and her colleagues conduct an experiment on two groups of people to establish a relationship between caffeine intake and sleep.The participants in the first group consume five cups of coffee per day for a month,whereas the participants in the second group limit their coffee intake to two cups per day for a month.After a month,the participants in the first group report increased sleeplessness.In the context of social psychology,the dependent variable in this experiment is:
A)the second group.
B)the first group.
C)the intake of caffeine.
D)the observed sleeplessness.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this experiment is the observed sleeplessness, as it is the variable being measured as a result of the manipulation of the independent variable (caffeine intake). The independent variable in this experiment is the intake of caffeine. The two groups (first and second) are simply a way of dividing the participants based on their caffeine intake and are not the dependent variable. Therefore, the correct choice is D.

Trinity and Her Colleagues Conduct an Experiment on Two Groups