Identifying Variables and Controls Practice with Answers

 Read the experiment below.  Identify the independent variable, the dependent variable, the experimental group, and the control group for the experiment.

A group of college students were given a short course in speed reading. The instructor was curious if a monetary incentive would influence performance on a reading test taken at the end of the course.  Half the students were offered $5 for obtaining a certain level of performance on the test, the other half were not offered money. 

Independent variable:  monetary incentive offered

Dependent variable:  performance on the reading test

Control group:  students not offered money

Read the experiment below.  Identify the independent variable, the dependent variable, the experimental group, and the control group for the experiment.

To test a new voice feature in a cockpit design a flight simulator was used. The simulator was programmed to give visual readings of flight information, or to give visual and auditory (voice) readings to flight information.  All test pilots were put through a simulated emergency landing procedure, but were randomly assigned to the visual or visual and auditory conditions.  Flight experts rated each pilots performance in the simulator on a scale of 1 (very poor) to 10 (excellent). 

Independent variable:  visual + auditory conditions

Dependent variable:  Performance rating of pilots in the simulator

Control group:  Pilots who only got visual conditions

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