Independent variable意思

"Independent variable" is a term used in statistics and research methodology to describe a variable that is not influenced by other variables being measured or controlled in a study. Instead, it is the variable that is expected to influence the dependent variable, which is the outcome or response variable that is being measured.

In simpler terms, an independent variable is one that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment to observe the effects on the dependent variable. For example, in an experiment to test the effects of different types of fertilizer on plant growth, the type of fertilizer would be the independent variable, and the plant growth would be the dependent variable. The independent variable is independent in the sense that it is not dependent on the value of any other variable in the experiment.