Questions: Question 2 1 pts Kwaku is a researcher who wants to know whether drinking caffeine makes people nervous. Some participants are given two glasses of a caffeinated beverage and some are given water to drink. An hour later all of the participants are tested to determine their level of nervousness. Which of the following is the independent variable in this experiment? the amount of time it takes the participants to drink their beverage the level of nervousness the caffeinated beverage the water

Solution Steps

To determine the independent variable in an experiment, identify the variable that is manipulated or changed by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable. In this case, the independent variable is the type of beverage given to the participants (caffeinated beverage or water), as it is what the researcher changes to study its impact on nervousness.

In the experiment, the researcher manipulates the type of beverage consumed by the participants. The two options are a caffeinated beverage and water. This manipulation is what allows the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable, which is the level of nervousness.

The independent variable can be expressed as a set of two elements: $$\text{Independent Variable} = \{ \text{caffeinated beverage}, \text{water} \}$$

Final Answer