UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

The independent variable is the factor that the researcher systematically varies or manipulates to observe its impact on the dependent variable. It is considered the presumed cause in a cause–effect relationship tested in an experiment. By changing levels of the independent variable while controlling other influences, the researcher can examine how outcomes respond. Therefore, the variable that is deliberately manipulated is rightly termed the independent variable.

Option A:
The independent variable is chosen based on theoretical expectations that it will influence the outcome of interest, such as teaching method or training programme. It is under direct control of the researcher within the experimental setting. This makes independent variable the correct completion of the stem.

Option B:
The dependent variable is the outcome or response that is measured to assess the effect of the independent variable. It is not directly manipulated but observed for changes as conditions vary. Hence, dependent variable does not match the description of the variable that is deliberately manipulated.

Option C:
A control variable is an extraneous factor that the researcher holds constant to prevent it from confounding the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Although it is regulated, it is not the variable whose different levels are being intentionally varied to test effects. Thus, control variable is not the correct answer.

Option D:
Extraneous variables are unwanted factors that may influence the dependent variable and threaten internal validity if not controlled. They are usually not intentionally manipulated but need to be minimised or accounted for. Therefore, extraneous variable cannot complete the stem accurately.

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.

The independent variable is the factor that the researcher intentionally varies or manipulates in an experiment to determine its causal effect on the dependent variable. It represents the presumed cause in a cause–effect relationship. By changing the levels of the independent variable, researchers can observe corresponding changes in outcomes. Because the stem specifies the variable that is deliberately manipulated to examine its effect on another variable, it correctly refers to the independent variable.

Option A:
Control variables are held constant across conditions to prevent them from influencing the dependent variable, but they are not the primary variables being manipulated to test hypotheses. Their purpose is to strengthen internal validity rather than to represent the main cause under investigation. Thus, control is not the right term for the manipulated variable described in the question.

Option B:
Extraneous variables are any variables other than the independent variable that may affect the dependent variable if not controlled or randomised. They are potential sources of error or alternative explanations for observed effects. Since the stem describes a variable that is deliberately manipulated, extraneous does not fit.

Option C:
Independent variables are central to experimental design because manipulating them allows researchers to test causal hypotheses in a controlled way. For example, different teaching methods can serve as independent variables when studying their impact on achievement. This focus on deliberate manipulation matches the description in the stem, making independent the correct answer.

Option D:
A moderator variable is one that affects the strength or direction of the relationship between an independent and dependent variable, but it is not necessarily the variable being experimentally manipulated in the main design. Moderators help explain under what conditions a particular effect occurs. Therefore, moderator is not the term the stem is seeking.

Statements A, B and C accurately define control, moderator and mediator variables, and F adds an important implication. A is true because researchers hold control variables constant to prevent them from confounding the relationship between independent and dependent variables. B correctly states that moderator variables change the strength or direction of this relationship, and C is right that mediators explain how or why an effect occurs. F is also true since identifying such variables helps develop more refined theoretical models, whereas D and E are false because not all extraneous variables are mediators and moderators are often crucial in educational research.

Option A:
Option A omits statement F and therefore fails to acknowledge how identifying mediators and moderators enriches theoretical understanding. Although A, B and C are correct, leaving out F means the combination does not include all the true statements identified in the item. Consequently, it is incomplete.

Option B:
Option B wrongly includes statement D, which asserts that all extraneous variables are mediators. Many extraneous variables do not function as mediators in a causal chain; they may simply add noise or bias. By grouping D with otherwise correct statements, this option becomes conceptually inaccurate.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it selects statements A, B, C and F, all of which align with standard definitions and implications in research design. It excludes D and E, which misrepresent extraneous variables and the relevance of moderators. Therefore this combination contains all and only the true statements.

Option D:
Option D omits statement A and includes D, making it doubly problematic. It loses the essential notion of a control variable and adopts the false idea that all extraneous variables are mediators. Such a combination cannot be considered correct.