In research, the dependent variable is the variable that is being measured or tested in an experiment. It is the variable that depends on other factors and is expected to change as a result of an experimental manipulation of the independent variable. The dependent variable is sometimes referred to as the "response," the "symptoms," or the "outcome," and it is often the focus of the research study. When searching for relationships between variables, researchers are trying to find what makes the dependent variable change. For example, in a study looking at how tutoring impacts test scores, the test scores would be the dependent variable.