In Randy’s research he manipulated 10-minute movie clips where some groups watched a funny version and others watched a sad version. He then observed its effect on his subjects mood using a questionnaire. What was the dependent variable?
a. mood
b. different types of movie clips
c. the correlation
d. the experimentation
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is: a. mood
In an experiment, the dependent variable is the outcome or the variable that is measured to see if it is affected by changes in another variable. In Randy’s research, he manipulated the type of movie clips shown to participants—some watched funny clips, others sad clips. This manipulation is the independent variable because it is what the researcher changes deliberately.
The dependent variable is what the researcher observes or measures to determine the effect of the independent variable. Since Randy wanted to see how watching different types of clips affected the subjects’ mood, the mood is the variable being measured. It is the outcome that depends on the type of movie clip shown.
The other options do not fit as the dependent variable:
- Different types of movie clips (option b) is the independent variable because it is what Randy manipulated.
- The correlation (option c) refers to a statistical relationship between variables but is not a variable itself in the context of this experiment.
- The experimentation (option d) refers to the process or method of conducting the study, not a variable being measured.
Therefore, mood is the dependent variable because it reflects the effect of the different movie clips and is what Randy assessed through a questionnaire to determine changes based on the funny or sad clips shown.