What is another name for the predictor variable, commonly used in experimental research because its values are manipulated by the experimenter?

• A. Dependent variable
• B. Independent variable
• C. Moderator
• D. Outcome variable

Answer: (B)

In experiments, the variable you actively change to see its effect is called the independent variable. This name reflects its role: you manipulate its values, making them independent of the participant's characteristics, so you can test for a cause-and-effect relationship with the outcome. The predictor term is used in regression to denote the variable used to predict the outcome, but when the predictor is controlled by the researcher, the standard label is independent variable. The outcome (dependent) variable is what you measure to assess the effect, and a moderator is a variable that changes how strong or in what direction that effect occurs, not the manipulated input itself.