What type of variable's value depends on the independent variable's selected value?

In research, a dependent variable is defined as the variable that is affected by changes in another variable, specifically the independent variable. When an independent variable is manipulated or changed in an experiment or study, the dependent variable's value will change in response to that manipulation. This relationship is critical for understanding cause-and-effect dynamics within research design.

In simpler terms, if you consider a situation where you are testing the effect of different amounts of sunlight on plant growth, the amount of growth observed in the plants would be the dependent variable, as it depends on the amount of sunlight (the independent variable) that the plants receive.

This concept is pivotal in experimental research as it helps researchers to draw conclusions about how one factor influences another, providing insights into relationships and potential causal effects. In contrast, other types of variables mentioned, like confounding variables, independent variables, and extraneous variables, have different roles in the context of a study and do not fit the description of being directly impacted by the independent variable’s values.