Question
Identify the intervening variable in the following scenario:
A researcher is interested in investigating factors that predict academic performance. In his research he theorises that student’s aptitude and personality both influence their time spent studying, which in turn determines their academic performance.
Student aptitude
Student personality
Time spent studying
Academic performance
None of the above
A researcher is interested in investigating factors that predict academic performance. In his research he theorises that student’s aptitude and personality both influence their time spent studying, which in turn determines their academic performance.
Student aptitude
Student personality
Time spent studying
Academic performance
None of the above
Answers
GPT-4o mini
In the provided scenario, the intervening variable is **Time spent studying**.
An intervening variable (also called a mediating variable) is one that helps to explain the relationship between the independent variables (in this case, student aptitude and student personality) and the dependent variable (academic performance). In this scenario, the researcher theorizes that both student aptitude and personality influence the amount of time students spend studying, which then affects their academic performance. Thus, time spent studying serves as the pathway through which the influences of aptitude and personality exert their effects on academic performance.
An intervening variable (also called a mediating variable) is one that helps to explain the relationship between the independent variables (in this case, student aptitude and student personality) and the dependent variable (academic performance). In this scenario, the researcher theorizes that both student aptitude and personality influence the amount of time students spend studying, which then affects their academic performance. Thus, time spent studying serves as the pathway through which the influences of aptitude and personality exert their effects on academic performance.