Testing the Effects of Ages on Jigsaw Puzzle Completion Time
What is the independent variable?
answer choices
The puzzle
The time to finish the puzzle
The ages of the people
The type of jigsaw puzzle
Answer:
The independent variable in this scenario is the ages of the people. This is because the experiment is designed to investigate how different ages (or age groups) perform in the task of putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Therefore the correct option is option D.
The independent variable is the variable that is purposefully controlled or modified in an experiment in order to see its effect on the dependent variable, which is the variable that is measured or observed as the experiment's outcome. The time it takes to complete the puzzle is the dependent variable in this case, and it is being measured to determine how it varies with changes in the independent variable (i.e. the ages of the people). The puzzle and the type of jigsaw puzzle are not the independent variable in this situation because they are constant factors that apply to all experiment participants.
In the research question posed, the independent variable is the factor that is being changed or controlled to test its effects on the dependent variable. In the scenario where students of different ages were given the same jigsaw puzzle to assemble, the independent variable is the ages of the people. This is because the ages are what the researchers change to see how it affects the time taken to complete the puzzle. The time to finish the puzzle, in this case, is the dependent variable as it is what the researchers are measuring and what may change in response to the manipulation of the independent variable.
Jigsaw puzzles require putting together many different pieces, and similarly, science often involves assembling pieces of data or observations to create a clearer understanding. As with a jigsaw puzzle, organizing and working methodically can help overcome the randomness or disorder of information or puzzle pieces to achieve a coherent picture or understanding.