In a study where more hours spent on an appraisal correlates with higher customer satisfaction, the number of hours would be classified as the ______ variable.

• A. Dependent
• B. Control
• C. Confounding
• D. Independent

Answer: (D)

The main idea is how variables are categorized in a study: the independent variable is the one you use to explain changes in the other variable. When more hours spent on an appraisal are associated with higher customer satisfaction, the hours are the predictor you’re examining to see its effect on satisfaction. The outcome you’re measuring, which depends on the hours, is customer satisfaction, so it is the dependent variable. Other factors you might hold constant to isolate the effect are control variables; factors that could distort the relationship if not accounted for would be confounding variables. Since the question identifies hours as the factor related to satisfaction, the hours are the independent variable.