A researcher studying the results of the most recent election hypothesizes that people who attend church regularly were more likely to oppose same sex marriage than non-church goers. In this study, the dependent variable is best described as ______.
A) the results of the most recent election
B) beliefs regarding same sex marriage
C) people who attend church regularly
D) church attendance

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this study is beliefs regarding same sex marriage because it is the variable that is being measured and is hypothesized to be affected by the independent variable (church attendance). The other variables mentioned are either independent variables (church attendance), demographic variables (people who attend church regularly), or an outcome variable (results of the election), but they are not the variable being measured in this particular hypothesis.

A Researcher Studying the Results of the Most Recent Election