What does the dependent variable represent in a study?

The dependent variable represents the effect or outcome of interest in a study. It is the factor that researchers measure to see how it is influenced or changed by manipulation of the independent variable. Essentially, the dependent variable is what the study aims to understand or predict as a response to changes made in the independent variable.

For instance, if a researcher is studying the effect of different amounts of sunlight on plant growth, the growth of the plants (which can be measured in terms of height, number of leaves, etc.) is the dependent variable. Researchers look at how changes in sunlight (the independent variable) lead to changes in plant growth (the dependent variable).

In contrast, the other choices do not correctly define the dependent variable’s role. The presumed cause refers to the independent variable, the constant factor relates to aspects of the study that are kept the same to ensure a fair test, and initial conditions deal with the state of the experiment before any manipulation occurs, none of which accurately capture the essence of the dependent variable.