Psych
Independent and Dependent Variables in a Hypothesis
Name:
HYPOTHESIS – an “educated guess” about something that can be tested. “What you
do” and “what will happen” will be measured.
If (Independent variable), then (dependent variable).
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (Manipulated Variable) - the one you, the "scientist"
control or change
DEPENDANT VARIABLE (Responding Variable)- the one that you observe
and/or measure the results after changes are made
* The observed outcome of the dependent variable depends on how you
manipulate the independent variable.
CONTROL GROUP - the group in an experiment or study that does not receive
treatment by the researchers and is then used as a benchmark to measure how the
other tested subjects do.
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP - the group in an experiment that receives the variable being
tested.
For each hypothesis, circle the independent variable and underline the dependent
variable.
1. Developmental Psychologists want to know if exposing children to public television improves their
reading skills.
2. Behavioral psychologists want to know whether reinforcing comments will make people work harder
on an assembly line.
3. Comparative psychologists study whether a young monkey will prefer to spend time with a pretend
monkey made of wire that also provides milk or a pretend monkey that is covered with cloth but provides
no milk.
4. A clinical psychologist wants to know whether people who have psychotherapy are more or less likely
to have problems in the future.
5. A social psychologist wants to know whether being polite or rude tends to make them more
cooperative.
6. A personality psychologist explores whether extroverted people have more fun at parties.