Kiecolt-Glaser is a health psychologist studying whether stress impairs the body's ability to heal. In the highly stressful week before final exams, dental students are given an oral punch biopsy-a small sample of gum tissue is removed. The number of days for the oral wound to completely heal is recorded. The same dental students receive a second oral punch biopsy during summer vacation. Once again, the number of days until the oral wound completely healed was recorded. What is the independent variable in this study?
A)number of days for the oral wound to heal
B)whether the oral wound was created during a high stress or low stress period
C)whether the dental students were working or relaxing during the summer vacation
D)average number of hours of sleep the students experienced in the day immediately following the gum wound

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is whether the oral wound was created during a high stress or low stress period, as this is the variable that is being manipulated by the researchers. The researchers are interested in how stress affects the body's ability to heal, so they are comparing wound healing during a highly stressful time (final exams) to wound healing during a low-stress time (summer vacation). The other answer choices (A, C, and D) are all potential dependent variables, as they may be influenced by the level of stress the students are experiencing.

Kiecolt-Glaser Is a Health Psychologist Studying Whether Stress Impairs the Body's