What is an example of an independent variable?

An independent variable is a factor that is intentionally changed or controlled in an experiment to test its effects on a dependent variable. In this context, age serves as an independent variable because it can be varied or selected for the experiment, allowing researchers to observe how changes in age might influence outcomes, such as test scores or other measures.

Temperature can also be an independent variable in certain experiments, but unlike age, it might not always be as universally applicable across various research scenarios. It is specific to experiments that involve thermal effects. Meanwhile, test scores and height typically represent dependent variables, as they are often observed or measured to assess the impact of independent variables. Thus, age stands out as a clear, often manipulable independent variable that researchers can use to investigate various hypotheses related to development or performance outcomes.