Question

Independent or Dependent
• On average, do women perform better on their statistics
final than men?
• On average, is there a difference in people’s blood
pressure before and after giving a speech. 40 people’s blood
pressure was measured before and after giving a public
speech.
• At a specific restaurant, is the average tip percent greater
for supper than lunch? 35 wait staff who worked both lunch
and supper check their receipts and tips.
• On average, are Americans more stressed compared to the
French? 50 people from each country were given a stress
test.

Answer 1

In the context of these research questions, we need to identify whether the variables being analyzed are independent or dependent. Here’s how each question fits:

1. **On average, do women perform better on their statistics final than men?**
- **Dependent Variable**: Statistic final scores
- **Independent Variable**: Gender (women vs. men)
- Conclusion: Gender (independent variable) is compared to final scores (dependent variable).

2. **On average, is there a difference in people’s blood pressure before and after giving a speech?**
- **Dependent Variable**: Blood pressure measurements
- **Independent Variable**: Time of measurement (before vs. after the speech)
- Conclusion: Measurement timing (independent variable) affects blood pressure (dependent variable).

3. **At a specific restaurant, is the average tip percent greater for supper than lunch?**
- **Dependent Variable**: Average tip percent
- **Independent Variable**: Meal time (supper vs. lunch)
- Conclusion: Meal time (independent variable) influences tip percent (dependent variable).

4. **On average, are Americans more stressed compared to the French?**
- **Dependent Variable**: Stress test results
- **Independent Variable**: Nationality (Americans vs. French)
- Conclusion: Nationality (independent variable) is linked to stress levels (dependent variable).

In summary:

- Independent variables: Gender, Time of measurement, Meal time, Nationality
- Dependent variables: Statistics final scores, Blood pressure, Tip percent, Stress test results