Weinstein, McDermott, and Roediger (2010) conducted an experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of different study strategies. One part of the study asked students to prepare for a test by reading a passage. In one condition, students generated and answered questions after reading the passage. In a second condition, students simply read the passage a second time. All students were then given a test on the passage material and the researchers recorded the number of correct answers.

Identify the dependent variable for this study.

Is the dependent variable discrete or continuous?
What scale of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio) is used to measure the dependent variable?

a) dependent variable = the effectiveness of study strategies based by the number of correct answers on a test (the different study strategies used)

b) discrete: finite and countable number of questions

c) ratio scale

Explanation:

Dependent variable: The variable being tested or measured in an experiment are dependent variables. In an experiment, the researchers are measuring at how alteration in the independent variable can lead to changes in the dependent variable.

Discrete variable: In a discrete variable, variables can only take a finite number of values. It includes qualitative variables. Whereas, few quantitative variables are also present i.e performance being ranked as 1, 2, 3, and so on.

The variable consists of four levels of measurement i.e nominal, ordinal, ratio, and interval.

Ratio scale: This type of variable measurement scale is quantitative. It allows the researcher to compare the differences or intervals. It possesses a zero point of origin.