Comparing Independent Variables, Dependent Variables, and Extraneous Variables

Measurement, Statistics, and Appraisal
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Independent variables are variables supposed to affect other variables. In a cause-effect relationship, it is the presumed cause, often manipulated by the investigator. For example, in examining the effects of exercising on weight loss, exercising is the independent variable. The variable is stable and is not affected by other variables under investigation. A dependent variable is a variable being measured and reliant on another variable, which is presumed to be the effect in a cause-effect relationship. For instance, in research on the impact of exercising on weight loss, weight loss is the dependent variable. The variables are projected to change after conducting an experiment manipulating independent variables (Marudhar, 2018, pp. 865-866). Extraneous variables are variables capable of affecting research outcomes that have not been considered in depth in a study. The variables, which exist in all studies, can either be confounding variables, which are not recognized until a study takes place, or intervening variables, which influence the research variables (Bloomfield & Fisher, 2019, p. 29).
Researchers attempt to contro...