What Is Variable??

Variable is something that can be changed, such as a characteristic or value. Variables are generally used in research and experiments to determine if changes to one thing result in changes to another.

The Dependent and Independent Variables

The independent variable is the variable that is controlled and manipulated by the experimenter. For example, in an experiment on the impact of sleep deprivation on test performance, sleep deprivation would be the independent variable.

The dependent variable is the variable that is measured by the experimenter. In our previous example, the scores on the test performance measure would be the dependent variable.