In a laboratory, smokers are asked to "drive" using a computerized driving simulator equipped with a stick shift and a gas pedal. The object is to maximize the distance covered by driving as fast as possible on a winding road while avoiding rear-end collisions. Some of the participants smoke a real cigarette immediately before climbing into the driver's seat. Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine. You are interested in comparing how many collisions the two groups have. In this study, the independent variable is ________.
A) the use of nicotine
B) the use of a driving simulator
C) the number of collisions
D) the driving skills of each driver

Question

In a laboratory, smokers are asked to "drive" using a computerized driving simulator equipped with a stick shift and a gas pedal. The object is to maximize the distance covered by driving as fast as possible on a winding road while avoiding rear-end collisions. Some of the participants smoke a real cigarette immediately before climbing into the driver's seat. Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine. You are interested in comparing how many collisions the two groups have. In this study, the independent variable is ________.
A) the use of nicotine 
B) the use of a driving simulator
C) the number of collisions
D) the driving skills of each driver

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is the use of nicotine. It is the variable that is being manipulated to see its effect on the number of collisions. The use of a driving simulator, the number of collisions, and driving skills are all dependent variables that will be measured and compared between the two groups of participants.

In a Laboratory, Smokers Are Asked to "Drive" Using a Computerized