What is the independent and dependent variable in this scenario:
A Physiological Psychologist is interested in investigating the effects of a new anti-anxiety drug on maze running behaviour in rats. A pool of rats is divided into two groups. One group of rats receives a dose of the new drug (Drug Group),while another group of rats receives a placebo (Placebo Group). After the drug or placebo is administered, a rat is placed at the start of the maze. A stopwatch records the time needed for a rat to run through the maze. From the data collected, the Physiologist discovers that rats that receive the drug (as compared to those that were administered the placebo) take longer
to run through the maze.
Also, what is the data collection method in this scenario?
An independent variable is the potential stimulus or cause, usually directly manipulated by the experimenter, so it could also be called a manipulative variable.
A dependent variable is the response or measure of results.
It sounds like a classical experiment.
In this scenario, the independent variable is the drug administration (new anti-anxiety drug vs. placebo), while the dependent variable is the time taken for the rats to run through the maze.
In this scenario, the independent variable is the type of treatment administered to the rats, which is either the new drug or the placebo. The independent variable is what the researcher manipulates or controls in an experiment.
The dependent variable in this scenario is the time taken for the rats to run through the maze. The dependent variable is the outcome or result that is measured or observed in response to changes in the independent variable. In this case, it is the time taken for the rats to complete the maze.
To summarize:
- Independent variable: Type of treatment (new drug or placebo)
- Dependent variable: Time taken for rats to run through the maze