In science, variables are any characteristics that can take on different values, such as height, age, temperature, or test scores. There are two types of variables: independent and dependent.
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Independent variable: It is a variable that stands alone and isnt changed by the other variables you are trying to measure. It is the cause in a causal research study. For example, someones age might be an independent variable. Other factors (such as what they eat, how much they go to school, how much television they watch) arent going to change a persons age.
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Dependent variable: It is the variable that changes as a result of the independent variable manipulation. It is the effect in a causal research study. It is what you’re interested in measuring, and it “depends” on your independent variable. It is also called a response variable, outcome variable, or left-hand-side variable. For example, a test score could be a dependent variable because it could change depending on several factors such as how much you studied, how much sleep you got the night before.
In a scientific experiment, you cannot have a dependent variable without an independent variable. The dependent variable is often the focus of the research study.
