If we view an experiment as an attempt to establish a cause-effect relationship,which of the following can be viewed as the "cause" in an experiment

A)  the independent variable 
B)  the dependent variable 
C)  the hypothesis 
D)  the theory

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or changed by the researcher in order to observe its effect on the dependent variable. Therefore, it can be viewed as the "cause" in an experiment. The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured as a result of changes to the independent variable. The hypothesis is a testable statement about the relationship between variables, and the theory is a well-established explanation for a phenomenon based on multiple lines of evidence. While they play important roles in the scientific process, neither the hypothesis nor the theory can be directly viewed as the "cause" in an experiment.