Dr.Jones is interested in studying how indoor lighting can influence people's moods during the winter.A sample of 100 households is selected.Fifty of the homes are randomly assigned to the bright-light condition where Dr.Jones replaces all the lights with 100-watt bulbs.In the other 50 houses,all the lights are changed to 60-watt bulbs.After two months,Dr.Jones measures the level of depression for the people living in the houses.In this study,the independent variable is
A)the brightness of the lights.
B)the level of depression.
C)the houses with 100-watt bulbs.
D)the houses with 60-watt bulbs.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is the brightness of the lights, specifically whether they are 100-watt bulbs or 60-watt bulbs. This is what is being manipulated by the researcher in order to observe any potential effects on people's moods. The level of depression is the dependent variable, as it is what is being measured in response to the independent variable. The type of houses (100-watt vs. 60-watt) are not independent variables themselves, but they are part of the experimental design in order to manipulate the independent variable.

DrJones Is Interested in Studying How Indoor Lighting Can Influence