When examining whether television viewing differs based on students' grade in school (i.e. ,first,second,third) ,the dependent variable of interest is ______.

A) grade level
B) students
C) academic performance
D) television viewing

The dependent variable of interest in this scenario is the amount of television viewing, as it is what is being measured and compared between different grade levels. The grade level itself would be an independent variable, as it is being used to group and compare the students. Academic performance and students themselves are not the focus of this particular analysis.