UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

The dependent variable represents the effect or outcome that may change as a result of manipulations of the independent variable. It is the main variable of interest whose variation the researcher wishes to explain or predict. Measurements of the dependent variable are compared across groups or conditions to evaluate the impact of the treatment. Thus, the outcome described in the stem is correctly called the dependent variable.

Option A:
The dependent variable is “dependent” in the sense that its values are expected to depend on or be influenced by the independent variable under investigation. In educational experiments, typical dependent variables include achievement scores, attitudes or skills. Because the stem refers to the outcome measured to assess treatment effect, this label is appropriate and correct.

Option B:
A control variable is a factor that the researcher keeps constant to prevent it from confounding the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. It is not the main outcome of interest.

Option C:
A moderator variable affects the strength or direction of the relationship between independent and dependent variables, rather than being the primary outcome. It answers questions about for whom or under what conditions the treatment works.

Option D:
A confounding variable is an uncontrolled factor that influences the dependent variable along with the independent variable, making it difficult to interpret causal effects. It is considered a threat rather than the planned outcome.

Statements A, B, C and E are all correct descriptions of different roles that variables can play in research. The independent variable is manipulated, the dependent variable is the measured outcome, mediators explain the mechanism linking the two and extraneous variables can disturb this relationship if not managed. Statement D is false because control variables are not varied; they are held constant to minimise their influence. Thus the correct combination must include A, B, C and E while excluding D.

Option A:
Option A includes A, B and C but omits E, thereby ignoring the important influence of extraneous variables on internal validity. Without recognising the potential confounding effect of extraneous variables, the description of variable types remains incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it brings together all four accurate statements about independent, dependent, mediating and extraneous variables. It excludes D, which incorrectly suggests that control variables are deliberately varied rather than controlled.

Option C:
Option C wrongly includes D, the false statement about control variables, and omits B, which correctly defines the dependent variable. This combination therefore both adds an incorrect assertion and drops a key correct one.

Option D:
Option D contains D alongside B and E. Since D misrepresents control variables, this option becomes invalid even though it includes two true statements.

Option E offers only C and E, leaving out the basic definitions of independent and dependent variables provided in A and B. Because it fails to include all the true statements, it cannot be the correct answer.

In experimental terminology, the independent variable is the factor that the researcher manipulates or changes to observe its impact. In this case, the teaching method is deliberately varied to see how it influences achievement scores. The scores obtained by students are the dependent variable because they depend on the treatment given. Hence, teaching method is correctly identified as the independent variable.

Option A:
Option A labels teaching method as dependent variable, which is incorrect. The dependent variable is the outcome measure, here the achievement scores, not the instructional strategy itself.

Option B:
Option B rightly designates teaching method as the independent variable because it is under the control of the experimenter. The researcher decides which groups receive which method, and then measures the resulting performance. This fits the standard definition of independent variable.

Option C:
Option C calls it an extraneous variable, which refers to unwanted variables that may affect the dependent variable but are not of primary interest. Teaching method is actually central to the study, not extraneous.

Option D:
Option D treats it as an intervening variable, which usually refers to hypothetical internal states mediating between cause and effect. Teaching method is an externally manipulated condition, not an intervening construct.

The dependent variable is the outcome or response that researchers observe and measure to determine whether it has changed as a result of the treatment or manipulation. Its values are assumed to depend on the levels of the independent variable. By comparing the dependent variable across experimental conditions, researchers infer whether the treatment has had an effect. Since the stem mentions the variable measured to assess the effect of the treatment, it is defining the dependent variable.

Option A:
A control variable is one that the researcher holds constant or monitors to prevent it from influencing the results. It is not the primary outcome being measured for treatment effects. While control variables are important for internal validity, they are different from the variable described in the stem.

Option B:
The independent variable is the one that the researcher manipulates or varies deliberately to study its impact on another variable. It represents the presumed cause rather than the observed effect. Because the stem refers to the variable that is measured as an outcome, independent variable is not the correct answer.

Option C:
Dependent variable represents the effect or response side of the cause–effect relationship studied in experiments. Examples include test scores, reaction times or attitude ratings after exposure to different treatments. The stem’s focus on measuring the variable to assess treatment effect corresponds exactly to this concept, making dependent variable the right completion.

Option D:
An intervening variable is a hypothetical factor that helps explain how or why an independent variable affects a dependent variable, such as motivation or anxiety. It is not usually the primary variable measured to determine treatment effectiveness. Therefore, intervening variable does not fit the stem.

Regression analysis models the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables to predict or explain outcomes. In simple regression, a straight line is fitted to data points, whereas multiple regression uses several predictors. Regression coefficients indicate the direction and magnitude of each predictor’s effect. Therefore, the technique used to predict a dependent variable from predictors is correctly termed regression analysis.

Option A:
Correlation measures the strength and direction of association between variables but does not provide an explicit predictive equation specifying expected values of the dependent variable given specific independent variable scores.

Option B:
Regression offers both prediction and partial explanation by quantifying how changes in predictor variables are associated with changes in the outcome, holding other variables constant. This predictive focus corresponds precisely to the stem, making this option correct.

Option C:
Factor analysis identifies underlying latent dimensions that account for correlations among observed variables and is not primarily used for predicting one variable from others.

Option D:
Cluster analysis groups cases into relatively homogeneous clusters based on similarity but does not predict a single dependent variable from predictors.

Statement C is wrong because extraneous variables are not simply irrelevant; they may influence the dependent variable and therefore often need to be controlled or accounted for in the design or analysis. Statements A, B, D and E are correct: the independent variable is manipulated or selected, the dependent variable is the measured outcome, control variables are held constant, and moderator variables can change the strength or direction of relationships. Hence, C alone is the incorrect statement and must be isolated as such.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it groups A, B and D as wrong, even though these three statements correctly define independent, dependent and control variables. Treating them as wrong would overturn standard terminology used in research methodology.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it identifies C alone as the wrong statement and implicitly accepts that A, B, D and E accurately describe the different roles variables can play. It highlights that extraneous variables require attention rather than dismissal.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it combines C with D and thereby mislabels D as incorrect. Statement D rightly explains that a control variable is intentionally held constant to remove its influence on the dependent variable.

Option D:
Option D is also incorrect since it pairs C with E, wrongly suggesting that moderator variables cannot influence the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Statement E is actually a correct description of moderator variables.

The dependent variable is the observed outcome whose values are expected to change in response to manipulation of the independent variable. It is “dependent” because its variation is presumed to be influenced by changes in the treatment conditions. Researchers measure this variable to test whether the intervention has made a difference. Hence, the variable measured to assess the treatment effect is correctly named the dependent variable.

Option A:
The independent variable is manipulated rather than measured as an outcome, so it does not align with the stem’s emphasis on measurement to assess effects. It functions as the presumed cause rather than the observed result.

Option B:
Option B, dependent variable, emphasises that this variable depends on the levels of the independent variable in the experimental design. Outcome indicators such as test scores, attitudes or performance measures are typical examples. This matches the description in the question, making this option correct.

Option C:
A moderator variable affects the strength or direction of the relation between independent and dependent variables but is not itself the main outcome being measured. It plays a more complex role and thus does not fit the stem.

Option D:
A control variable is held constant to prevent it from interfering with the interpretation of results. It is not the primary outcome of interest, so it is not the correct choice here.

The independent variable is the factor that the researcher deliberately manipulates or varies in an experiment in order to examine its impact on a dependent variable. It is considered the presumed “cause” in a cause–effect relationship. By changing its levels while controlling other variables, the researcher can test specific hypotheses about its influence. Therefore, the manipulated variable described in the stem is correctly called the independent variable.

Option A:
Option A, independent variable, captures the idea of a variable that is “independent” of changes in other variables within the experimental framework, because it is set by the researcher. Different groups or conditions receive different levels of this variable. Since the stem emphasises manipulation to observe effects, this option is appropriate.

Option B:
The dependent variable represents the outcome or response that is measured to see whether it changes as a result of the manipulation. It is not itself manipulated, so it does not fit the description.

Option C:
A control variable is kept constant across conditions to prevent it from confounding the relationship between independent and dependent variables. While important, it is not the variable being manipulated.

Option D:
Extraneous variables are uncontrolled factors that may influence the dependent variable unintentionally and threaten internal validity. They are neither intentionally manipulated nor central to the experiment’s main hypothesis, so they are not the right answer.

Statements A, B, C and E correctly define important kinds of variables in research, while statement D is wrong. Statement A is true because the independent variable is manipulated or selected by the researcher to see its effect on the dependent variable. Statement B correctly identifies the dependent variable as the outcome that is expected to change when the independent variable is varied, and statement C accurately describes extraneous variables as influences on the dependent variable that are not of primary interest. Statement E is also correct since moderator variables interact with the independent and dependent variables to modify the strength or direction of their relationship, whereas statement D is false because control of extraneous variables is important irrespective of sample size.

Option A:
Option A treats both B and D as wrong, but this is not accurate. While D is indeed incorrect, B is a correct description of the dependent variable as the outcome that responds to changes in the independent variable. By misclassifying a true statement as wrong, this option fails to identify the wrong statement set properly and therefore cannot be the correct answer.

Option B:
Option B classifies C and D as wrong statements. Although D is wrong, C is correct because extraneous variables are exactly those variables that may unintentionally influence the dependent variable even though they are not the main focus of the study. Since this option marks a correct statement as wrong and omits the correct status of A, B and E, it is invalid.

Option C:
Option C combines A, B and D and implicitly treats all three as wrong. Both A and B are actually accurate definitions of independent and dependent variables, respectively. Including these correct statements with D, which is wrong, leads to an incorrect grouping of wrong statements, so this option cannot be chosen.

Option D:
Option D correctly identifies D as the only wrong statement. It recognises that even large samples cannot substitute for proper control of extraneous variables because uncontrolled influences can still bias results. By leaving A, B, C and E untouched as correct statements and singling out D, this option best answers the instruction to select the wrong statements.

Statement A is correct because regression distinguishes a response (dependent) variable from an explanatory (independent) variable. Statement C is true as the least squares criterion minimises the sum of squared vertical residuals. Statement D is also correct since regression is widely used to predict and to analyse how variables relate. Statement B is false because the regression of Y on X is primarily used to predict Y for given X, not the other way around. Statement E is false because a horizontal line means Y is constant and does not change with X. Consequently, A, C and D only are correct.

Option A:
Option A is correct as it collects the essential properties of simple linear regression and excludes B and E.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes B (wrong predictive direction).

Option C:
Option C is wrong as it includes E (false).

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it retains B (false) and omits A (dependent/independent distinction).