Dictionary > Dependent variable

Dependent variable

Definition
noun, plural: dependent variables
(mathematical modeling) The variable in a functional relation whose value is dependent upon, or influenced by, an independent variable
(experimental sciences, statistics) The variable whose value is measured to determine the extent of the effect of another variable to it, as in an experiment; a factor whose value changes when the independent variable is changed
Supplement
The dependent variable, as the name implies, is the variable that depends and therefore affected by certain variables, in particular, by the independent variable(s). In comparison, the independent variable is the variable that determines the value of the variable dependent on it. In experimental sciences, the independent variable is the factor being manipulated or controlled by an experimenter and then the value of the dependent variable is measured. The value of the dependent variable would represent the extent of the effect of the independent variable. For example, an experiment is designed to see if a newly developed drug is effective in treating patients with cough. Some of the patients were given the drug while others the placebo. To determine if the drug is effective, the recovery of patients taking the drug is monitored and compared against that of the patients taking the placebo. If the patients taking the drug are able to recover faster than the patients taking the placebo, it could mean that the drug is effective against cough. If patients taking the drug and the placebo have the same rate of recovery, the drug may not be an effective treatment for cough.
In this case, the dependent variable is the rate of recovery in patients with cough.
Synonym(s):

  • experimental variable
  • explained variable
  • outcome variable
  • measured variable
  • observed variable
  • output variable
  • regressand
  • responding variable
  • response variable

Compare:

  • independent variable


  • You will also like...

    squirrel
    Animal Water Regulation

    Animals adapt to their environment in aspects of anatomy, physiology, and behavior. This tutorial will help you understa..

    Plant Water Regulation
    Plant Water Regulation

    Plants need to regulate water in order to stay upright and structurally stable. Find out the different evolutionary adap..

    Water Cycle
    The Water Cycle

    The water cycle (also referred to as the hydrological cycle) is a system of continuous transfer of water from the air, s..

    Adaptation Tutorial
    Adaptation Tutorial

    Adaptation, in biology and ecology, refers to the process or trait through which organisms or the populations in a habit..

    Plant biology
    Plant Biology

    Plantlife can be studied at a variety of levels, from the molecular, genetic and biochemical level through organelles, c..

    Early Earth
    The Origins of Life

    This tutorial digs into the past to investigate the origins of life. The section is split into geological periods in the..