What are the dependent and independent variables in the sentences? I don't understand them.

1. Students who have higher intelligence report they like their teachers the most.
2. Methodists who are less likely to engage in alcohol abuse are less likely to remain married.
3. Couples without children report they are less satisfied in their marriages than couples with children.
4. Young men are more likely to enjoy recreation if they have a great deal of money.
5. The less salt a group of people have in their diet the more likely they are to develop hypertension.
6. The more cigarettes a group of people smoke, the more likely they are to develop cancers.
7. The less sugar one has in one's diet, the less likely that person is to develop diabetes.
8. Grade point average is related to student satisfaction. The higher the student's
grade point average, the greater the satisfaction with education is reported.
9. Student success is influenced by the quality of the student-teacher relationship.
Students who report they like their instructors are more likely to perform well in courses.
10. The more hours per week a student studies in groups, the better they are likely to do on class.
11. Student success is related to the number of extra curricular activities the student is involved in. Those students who are more active are more likely to do well in class.
12. The less students study, the more likely they are to fail the course.

Independent = can be a sentence on its own if punctuated correctly (in bold below)

Dependent = cannot be a sentence on its own, no matter how you punctuate it (underlined below)

I'll get you started with the first two:

1. Students who have higher intelligence report they like their teachers the most.

2. Methodists who are less likely to engage in alcohol abuse are less likely to remain married.


In the 2nd one, you could also argue that "to remain married" is dependent since it's an infinitive phrase.

You try the rest and let us know what you decide.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/clauses.htm

In each of the sentences, we can identify the dependent and independent variables by understanding the cause-and-effect relationship between them. The dependent variable is the one that is affected or influenced by the independent variable.

Let's break down each sentence:

1. Independent Variable: Higher intelligence
Dependent Variable: Likelihood of liking teachers
Explanation: The level of intelligence (independent variable) is hypothesized to impact the students' preference for their teachers (dependent variable).

2. Independent Variable: Likelihood of engaging in alcohol abuse
Dependent Variable: Likelihood of remaining married
Explanation: The alcohol abuse behavior (independent variable) is believed to influence the ability to maintain a marriage (dependent variable).

3. Independent Variable: Presence of children
Dependent Variable: Level of marital satisfaction
Explanation: The presence of children (independent variable) is thought to affect the level of satisfaction in a marriage (dependent variable).

4. Independent Variable: Amount of money
Dependent Variable: Enjoyment of recreation
Explanation: The amount of money (independent variable) is expected to impact the enjoyment of recreational activities (dependent variable).

5. Independent Variable: Amount of salt in diet
Dependent Variable: Likelihood of developing hypertension
Explanation: The amount of salt intake (independent variable) is believed to influence the likelihood of developing hypertension (dependent variable).

6. Independent Variable: Number of cigarettes smoked
Dependent Variable: Likelihood of developing cancers
Explanation: The number of cigarettes smoked (independent variable) is hypothesized to affect the likelihood of developing cancers (dependent variable).

7. Independent Variable: Amount of sugar in diet
Dependent Variable: Likelihood of developing diabetes
Explanation: The amount of sugar intake (independent variable) is thought to impact the likelihood of developing diabetes (dependent variable).

8. Independent Variable: Grade point average
Dependent Variable: Student satisfaction with education
Explanation: The grade point average (independent variable) is believed to relate to the level of satisfaction with education (dependent variable).

9. Independent Variable: Student-teacher relationship
Dependent Variable: Academic performance
Explanation: The quality of the student-teacher relationship (independent variable) is thought to influence the academic performance of students (dependent variable).

10. Independent Variable: Number of study hours in groups
Dependent Variable: Academic performance
Explanation: The number of study hours in groups (independent variable) is expected to impact the academic performance of students (dependent variable).

11. Independent Variable: Number of extracurricular activities
Dependent Variable: Academic performance
Explanation: The involvement in extracurricular activities (independent variable) is believed to relate to the academic performance of students (dependent variable).

12. Independent Variable: Amount of study time
Dependent Variable: Likelihood of failing the course
Explanation: The amount of study time (independent variable) is thought to influence the likelihood of failing the course (dependent variable).

By identifying the dependent and independent variables, we can analyze the cause-and-effect relationships between them and draw conclusions based on the given information.