The independent variable is the one the experimenter controls. The dependent variable is the variable that changes in response to the independent variable. The two variables may be related by cause and effect. If the independent variable changes, then the dependent variable is affected
You can think of independent and dependent variables in terms of cause and effect an independent variable is the variable you think is the cause, while a dependent variable is the effect. In an experiment, you manipulate the independent variable and measure the outcome in the dependent variable.
