Introductory Psychology CLEP Prep Practice Exam

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Prepare for the CLEP Psychology Exam with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question comes with hints and explanations to help you succeed. Master the content and pass your exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

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What is the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable?

The dependent variable changes due to the independent variable
The independent variable is manipulated by the experimenter
The dependent variable is the result of the experiment
The independent variable is the control in the experiment

The correct answer is: The independent variable is manipulated by the experimenter

An independent variable is the variable that is purposely changed or manipulated by the experimenter in an experiment. This means that the experimenter has control over this variable, and it is not influenced by any other factors in the experiment. This is why option B is the correct answer. Option A is incorrect because it incorrectly states that the dependent variable changes due to the independent variable. In fact, the independent variable is purposely changed in order to see how it affects the dependent variable. Option C is incorrect because it only defines the dependent variable as the result of the experiment. While this is true, it does not fully explain the difference between an independent and dependent variable. Option D is incorrect because it falsely states that the independent variable is the control in the experiment. The control in an experiment is actually the standard or unchanged condition used for comparison.