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Dependent variables are influenced by other phenomena and are measured in experiments. Independent variables are manipulated by the experimenter to test predictions. Multiple dependent variables can be changed by manipulating the independent variable. Caution is advised when identifying variables in statistical analysis.
Dependent variables are observable phenomena that are influenced by other phenomena. In one example, for someone studying how much light affects the growth rate of plants, the growth rate is the dependent variable, because it depends on how much light the plants get. When people design experiments, they identify the dependent variable or variables at the outset, so they can measure them throughout the experiment. They also identify any factors that may affect the dependent variable, to the best of their ability.
One might think that these variables have values that depend on something else being manipulated. This “something else” is known as the independent variable. Independent variables can impact dependent variables, but they do not change in response to other variables in the experiment. Instead, they are manipulated by the experimenter, with the experimenter using controlled manipulation to test predictions about how changes in the independent variable will alter the dependent variable or variables in the experiment.
Dependent and independent variables occur in a wide variety of locations. For example, stock market value is a dependent variable because it is influenced by external factors. In science experiments, the dependent variables are the things people are trying to study and measure. When designing experiments, researchers try to think of all the things that can affect the things they’re trying to measure, so they can control the environment of the experiment as much as possible.
In our plant example above, growth rate is a dependent variable, but so are things like when the plant leaves, whether it flowers or not, and so on. In this case, multiple dependent variables can be changed by manipulating the independent variable. Not giving the plant enough light can slow its growth rate, while giving it too much light can cause burnt or damaged leaf buds, preventing the plant from coming out.
People can also identify dependent and independent variables in areas such as statistical analysis, looking at things that appear to be related and exploring the ways they are related. However, some caution is advised here. Correlation is not causation, and when doing statistical analysis, people should avoid the temptation to simplify or manipulate information to achieve a specific goal. A good analysis will stand on its own, and readers should agree with how the researcher has identified the dependent and independent variables.
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