A researcher studies length of time in college, first through fourth year, and its relation to academic motivation.To get the most detail out of her measures, she assesses each student in both the fall and spring semesters of each of their four years in school.She finds that students have increasingly higher motivation from their first semester to their seventh semester (the start of their fourth year), with a trailing off in the last semester.What is the independent variable in this study?
A) year in school
B) semester in school
C) academic motivation
D) time of year in which the assessment was completed

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated and/or controlled by the researcher, and in this case, it is the semester in school. The researcher is interested in how academic motivation changes across different semesters (or time periods) in college, and as such, the semester in school becomes the independent variable. The other answer choices may be relevant variables in the study, but they are not the independent variable that is being manipulated or controlled by the researcher.

A Researcher Studies Length of Time in College, First Through