In a psychological experiment,the experimental factor that is manipulated by the investigator is called the ________ variable.

A) dependent
B) independent
C) control
D) experimental

The independent variable is the factor that the experimenter changes or manipulates in order to observe its effect on the dependent variable. The dependent variable, on the other hand, is the outcome that is being measured and is affected by the independent variable. The control variable is the variable that is kept constant or consistent throughout the experiment. The experimental variable is not a commonly used term in psychology.