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· 05 Dec 2021

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What Is An Independent Variable?

Introduction
The independent variable (IV) is a feature of a psychological study that is manipulated or altered by scientists rather than by other factors in the experiment.

For example, learning is the independent variable in an experiment examining the impact of studying on test scores. Researchers have been trying to ascertain if changes in the independent variable (studying) result in substantial variance in the dependent variable (the test results).

What is the Independent Variable in a Hypothesis?
The term "independent variable" means precisely what it sounds like. This is a variable that does not change as a result of the other parameters you are attempting to assess. Someone's age, for instance, maybe an independent variable. Other things (such as what they eat, how often they go to school, and how much television they watch) will not modify a person's age. In reality, while looking for a link between variables, you are attempting to determine if the independent variable leads to a change in the other variables or dependent variables.

Recognizing the Independent Variable
If you're having problems identifying the different factors of an experiment, consider the following questions:

• Is it the variable that the experimenters are attempting to manipulate?
• Are researchers attempting to determine how one variable affects another?
• Is the variable something that can't be modified but isn't affected by other factors in the test?
  
  The impacts of the independent variable on other factors, known as dependent variables, are of particular interest to researchers (DV). The independent variable is one that the investigators alter (for example, the quantity of something) or which already occurs but is not reliant on some other factors (such as the age of the participants).
  
  Uses
• Looking at these various instances will help you understand how the independent variable is used in investigations.
• 
  In Corporations
  A researcher would like to know if the hue of an office affects worker productivity. In an experiment, one set of workers completes a job in a yellow room while another group completes the identical activity in a blue room. The colour of the workplace is the independent variable in this case.
  
  In the Office
  A company wants to know if providing workers greater autonomy over how they execute their jobs leads to higher job satisfaction. In an experiment, one set of workers is given a lot of say over how they do their jobs, while the other does not. In this case, the independent variable is the degree of control the workers have over their task.
• 
  Educators
  Educators are interested in whether enrolling in after-school math tutoring might improve test performance on standardised math tests. In a study, one group of kids attends an after-school tutor twice per week, whereas another group does not. Participation in after-school math tutoring is the independent variable in this scenario.
  
  Conclusion
  The independent variable is an important part of a hypothesis. Outside of an experimental environment, researchers are frequently unable to directly alter or modify the independent variable of interest.
  
  Instead, students must discover examples of the independent variable that already exist and explore how changes in this variable impact the dependent variable.