What is the focus of the dependent variable in an experiment?

The focus of the dependent variable in an experiment is that it is what the researcher measures. The dependent variable is affected by changes in the independent variable, which is what the researcher manipulates during the experiment. By measuring the dependent variable, researchers can assess the impact or outcome of the changes they have made to the independent variable, thereby determining the relationship between the two. For example, if a researcher is studying the effects of different amounts of sunlight on plant growth, the growth of the plants would be the dependent variable, as it is what is being measured to see the effect of varying sunlight exposure.

In contrast, the independent variable is manipulated by the researcher, while constant factors typically refer to control variables that are kept unchanged to ensure that the experiment is fair and that the results pertain solely to the manipulation of the independent variable. The statement about the dependent variable being determined before the hypothesis does not accurately reflect its role in the research process, where hypotheses guide the selection of dependent variables to be measured.