Types of Research

Variables
Strategic Intervention Material

Ms. Jesusa H. Gomez 11/5/17 Research 7

Independent and Dependent Variables: Around Us All the Time?
LEAST MASTERED COMPETENCY

Differentiate the three kinds

of variables.

Identify the independent,

dependent and control
variables in a given situation.
TITLE CARD

Research
Variables
GUIDE CARD 1
GUIDE CARD 2
 How can we identify
independent and
dependent variables
in the world around
us?

How can we apply our

understanding of
independent and
dependent variables to
real-life scenarios?

What is the relationship between

independent and dependent
variable?
 ACTIVITY CARD 1
Identifying the variables.
Using the information in the following phrases, identify the independent
variable, dependent variable, and any constants.

Phineas and Ferb claim to have created the world’s fastest roller coaster,
The Widow Maker. To enter their coaster in the Guinness Book of World
Records, they must prove that the speed of the roller coaster at the bottom
of the first hill, the faster point of any roller coaster, is greater than Kinda
Ka, the fastest known roller coaster in New Jersey, USA. Help them design
an experiment to test their coaster.
Independent variable:
__________________________________________
Dependent Variable: __________________________________________
Controls:____________________________________________________

The Evil, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is at it again! He hopes his latest invention, the
Woodenator, will raise sea level by 2% and create beachfront property near
his laboratory. The machine works by attracting the wood of a beaver clam
like a magnet. He tested his machine to determine where to place his so it
works most effectively. He created three piles, each having 300 logs of the
same type and size to test the strength of the machine of three different
distances of 100 m, 70 m, and 50 m. He counted the number of logs that
were attracted to his Woodenator and each location. Here are the results:

Distance Number of logs

100 37
75 106
50 258
Independent variable: __________________________________________
Dependent Variable: __________________________________________
Controls:____________________________________________________
 ACTIVITY CARD 2
Connect the question to its corresponding answer by drawing an
arrow.
 ACTIVITY CARD 3

Identifying variables.
Hunt and her team designed an experiment to test her hypothesis about the effect
of BPA on mice. They administered daily doses of BPA to groups of female mice
over three, five, or seven days and then tested these mice for genetic abnormalities
that occur during meiosis, the division of chromosomes during egg formation.
Draw the symbol corresponding to each labels to identify the components of Hunt's
experiment. Labels may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
C - Control
T - Treatment
DV - Dependent variable
IV - Independent variable
 ACTIVITY CARD 4
Identify the dependent and independent variable in each scenario.
Scenario Independent Dependent
One chicken in injected with Growth hormone Weight of chicken
a growth hormone while
another chicken is not
injected. Both chickens are
weighed after a year.
A bug repellant is sprayed on
one arm. The other arm is
not sprayed. The number of
bug bites is recorded after 2
hours.
Javier sleeps 9 hours the
night before his science
exam. His twin sister has the
same exam and sleeps 6
hours the night before the
test. Afterwards, they
compared their scores.
Group A exercises for a
month. Group B does not
exercise. They measure the
weight they gained.
One math class studies for
an assessment while the
math class next door does
not. The score of the classes
are compared.
One plant is given sunlight
every day. Another plant is
not given any sunlight. After
3 weeks, we measure how
tall the plant is.
 ASSESSMENT CARD 1

Using the information in the following phrases, identify the independent variable, dependent
variable, and any constants.
1. Does heating a cup of water allow it to dissolve more sugar? Temperature of the water is
measured in degrees Centigrade. Amount of sugar is measured in grams.
Independent _______________________ Dependent ___________________________
Constants _____________________________________________________________

2. Does fertilizer make a plant grow bigger? Amount of fertilizer measured in grams, quantities
of water measured in milliliters.
Independent _______________________ Dependent ___________________________
Constants _____________________________________________________________

3. Does an electric motor turn faster if you increase the voltage? Voltage of the electricity used
is measured in volts. Speed of rotation measured in revolutions per minute (RPMs)
Independent _______________________ Dependent __________________________
Constants _____________________________________________________________

4. How fast does a candle burn? Time measured in minutes. Height of candle measured in
centimeters at regular intervals of time (for example, every five minutes).
Independent _______________________ Dependent __________________________
Constants ____________________________________________________________

5. Dr. Smith wants to examine whether a new drug increases the maze running performance of
older rats. Just like aging humans, older rats show signs of poorer memory for new things. Dr.
Smith teaches two groups of older rats to find a piece of tasty rat chow in the maze. One group
of rats is given the new drug while they are learning the maze. The second group is not given
the drug. One week after having learned the maze he retests the rats and records how long it
takes them to find the rat chow.
Independent _______________________ Dependent __________________________
Constants ____________________________________________________________
ASSESSMENT CARD 2
Write the letter of the correct answer.
1. Nick wanted to see how high an ice cube would float in different temperatures of water. What
is the dependent variable?
a. temperature the ice cube was at its highest point
b. amount of water
c. temperature of water
d. height of the cube
e. size of ice cube

2. Identify the independent variable? Use choices in no. 1.

3. Justin usually blows his nose using Kleenex tissues. His snot keeps leaking through the tissue.
He decided he is going to create an experiment to find out if there is something better. What is
his independent variable?
a. Kleenex b. type of tissue c. mass of snots the tissue can hold d. amount of tissue

4. What is the constant variable? Use choices in no. 3.

5. What is his dependent variable? Use choices in no. 3.

6. Mario studied how far room temperature water would spurt out of a plastic milk carton when
3 mm holes were punched at different heights from the bottom of the container. Identify the
dependent variable.
a. 3 mm holes b. distance water traveled out of carton
c. different heights of holes in container d. ice water from Iceland

7. Identify a constant. Use choices in no. 6.

8. Identify the independent variable? Use choices in no. 6.

9. Tiffany was investing how fast it took Hayden to react to different sounds. Identify the
independent variable.
a. how fast Hayden reacted b. different sounds
c. playing the trumpet over and over d. Hayden

10. Identify the dependent variable.

a. different sound b. how fast Hayden reacted
c. playing the trumpet over and over d. how much time it took Hayden to react
 ASSESSMENT CARD 3
Write T if the statement is true and F if false.
_____ 1. The variable you measure is the dependent variable.
_____ 2. Mr. S set up an experiment to see how the mass of the ball affects the distance it rolls
off a ramp. The dependent variable is the mass of the ball.
_____ 3. How does watching TV during study affect a student’s test grades. The underlined
phrase is a controlled variable.
_____ 4. The independent variable is the one thing you experiement with.
_____ 5. The dependent variable is the variable that is systematically manipulated.
_____ 6. There is only one independent variable per experiment.
_____ 7. There can be multiple dependent variables within an experiment.
_____ 8. A control is a factor that is missing the outcome variable, but is the same as other
factors in an experiment.
_____ 9. Scientists must watch over the constants carefully so they do not influence the
dependent variable in a misleading way.
_____10. Most experiments have more than one controlled variables.
 ENRICHMENT CARD 1
Write the letter of the correct answer on the last column.

Situation A B Answer
1. Horses can swim faster than The dependent variable is The dependent variable is
dogs. speed of swimming. type of animal.
2. A lame victim will be more The independent variable is The independent variable is
likely to be helped than a drunk level of helping. type of victim.
victim.
3. Horses can swim faster than The independent variable is The independent variable is
dogs. speed of swimming. type of animal.
4. Which variable is measured Independent variable Dependent variable
rather than manipulated?
5. Participants will give a bigger The independent variable is The independent variable is
shock if an authority figure is the level of shock given. the presence of an authority
present. figure.
6. Leading questions can distort The dependent variable is The dependent variable is
memory. distortion of memory. leading questions.
7. First born children will learn to The dependent variable is The dependent variable is
speak at a younger age than order of child. age the child learns to speak.
second born children.
8. Children who view aggressive The dependent variable is The dependent variable is the
role models will be more aggression of the children. role model.
aggressive.
9. Positive people have more The dependent variable is The dependent variable is the
friends than negative people. the positivity of the number of friends.
participant.
10. Participants will react quicker The dependent variable is The dependent variable is
to a light than a buzzer. the stimulus - light or buzzer. reaction speed.
11. Leading questions can The independent variable is The independent variable is
distort memory. distortion of memory. leading questions.
12. Students who regularly use The dependent variable is The dependent variable is the
this web site (www.holah.co.uk) performance in the exam. use of this site (www.holah.
will perform better in their co.uk)
psychology exams than students
who rarely use this web site.
13. Children who view The independent variable is The independent variable is
aggressive role models will be aggression of the children. the role model.
more aggressive.
14. A lame victim will be more The dependent variable is The dependent variable is the
likely to be helped than a drunk the level of helping. type of victim.
victim.
15. There will be a significant The dependent variable is The dependent variable is
differences in the thought thought processes. regular or non-regular
processes between regular and gamblers.
non-regular gamblers.
16. Participants will give a bigger The dependent variable is The dependent variable is the
shock if an authority figure is the level of shock given. presence of an authority
present. figure.
17. Smoking causes lung The dependent variable is The dependent variable is
cancer. lung cancer. smoking.
18. Participants who exercise The independent variable is The independent variable is
regularly are happier than those happiness. frequency of exercise.
that don't.
19. Hull City are higher up in the The dependent variable is The dependent variable is the
league than Nottingham Forest the football team. position in the league.
because they have better
players.
20. Smoking causes lung The independent variable is The independent variable is
cancer. lung cancer. smoking.
21. Participants who exercise The dependent variable is The dependent variable is
regularly are happier than those happiness. frequency of exercise.
that don't.
22. Hull City are higher up in the The independent variable is The independent variable is
league than Nottingham Forest the football team. the better players.
because they have better
players.
23. Positive participants have The independent variable is The independent variable is
more friends than negative the positivity of the the number of friends.
participants. participant.
24. There will be a significant The independent variable is The independent variable is
differences in the thought thought processes. regular or non-regular
processes between regular and gamblers.
non-regular gamblers.
25. Students who regularly use The independent variable is B. The independent variable
this web site (www.holah.co.uk) performance in the exam. is the use of this site
will perform better in their (www.holah.co.uk).
psychology exams than students
who rarely use this web site.

ENRICHMENT CARD 2
ENRICHMENT CARD 3
 ENRICHMENT CARD 4

GETTING STARTED WITH LINEAR RELATIONS

Cut out each pair of variables below. Which piece would go under Dependent?
Independent?

Independent Dependent
How much you make
The amount of
How much air assignment you turned
conditioning you use in

Time it takes to drive

Who scores more points
somewhere
Your grade Cost of speeding ticket

Winner of a football game How far you can drive

How many km you went
Temperature over speed limit
The hours you work How fast you drive
 Reference Card
http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-answers/experimental-
design-identifying-variables-hunt-team-designed-experiment-test-hypothesis-ef-
q15017147
https://wcmssef.wordpress.com/understanding_variables/
https://www.slideshare.net/jschmied/experimental-design-verision-3