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Think back to the last time you visited a grocery store or ordered groceries online.
What were your reasons for shopping at that specific grocery store?
Everyday we face small decisions points that drive our final decisions. To better understand the relationship between these decision points and the outcomes, we conduct experiments using independent and dependent variables.
What Are Independent And Dependent Variables?
Independent and dependent variables are used in experiments to test hypotheses.
In an experiment, the independent variable (IV) is changed intentionally to test the effects on the dependent variable (DV).
For example, we might change the price of grocery items (e.g. discounted vs. premium) or store location (within 10 km vs. 30 km away) to measure the effects on grocery store shopped.
Quiz
Consuming soft drinks every day can impact your weight. What is the dependent variable?
The dependent variable is weight because your weight depends on the amount of soft drinks you consume.
Practice
Wanda wants to buy some banana muffins from a local shop. Each box of muffins cost $4.50.
Quiz
Which of these statements is true?
The amount of money Wanda spends depends on the number of boxes of muffins she buys. Therefore, the amount of money she spends is the dependent variable, and the number of boxes of muffins she buys is the independent variable.
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With any experiment, it's important to understand independent and dependent variables so you can test your hypothesis and understand the cause and effect relationship between variables.
Consider for yourself. If your mood is a dependent variable, what independent variables might it have a relationship with?
This Byte has been authored by
Kurt Cheng
An e-commerce and digital marketing ninja
Smita Natekar
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Brenda Park
Market Research Manager, AIR MILES Reward Program at LoyaltyOne