Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

If you change the color of jello and see what flavor test subjects think it is, what is the independent variable and what is the dependent variable?

Hi!

This website defines what an independent and dependent variable is:

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/help/user_g ... iables.asp

Hope that helps and good luck with your project!

The color of jello is the independent variable, and the flavor test subjects think it is would be the dependent variable.

Thank you. Does it matter in defining the independent varialbe that the science fair test is only using ONE color of Jell-o and asking people to write down what flavor they think that it is?

Hi there,

Check out vairables right here on Science Buddies! Controlled variables are also defined. We even have a variables and hypothesis worksheet related link.

http://www.sciencebuddies.com/mentoring ... bles.shtml


To ensure a fair test one independent variable is desired. Hope this helps!

Hi there,

If you are only using one color of Jello, then your independent variable is not really a variable (because it's not being changed). Is it not possible for you to use more than one color?

What is your purpose in testing what flavor people think this one color of Jello is? Are you asking them any other information? If you give us more details about your project, perhaps we can help you more!

Heather

Okay, so here is the experiment. Mix yellow jell-o per directions, add RED food color. Then serve to test subjects and ask them what flavor they got.

Still don't understand the independent and dependent variable for this experiment.

HELP!!!

Thank you.

Hi,

As Heather told you, you do not have an independent variable if you are only serving one color of jello. I think we would all recommend that you try to add multiple colors (in which case added food color would be your independent variable); flavor that the subject thought it was will be your dependent variable--the variable you are measuring.

Hi there,

Not sure if this is of interest, but I recently read about where this experiment was used in a real-life situation in the book Mindless Eating (sorry, don't remember the author). As I recall, it was a Navy ship in the '50's (??) where the cook had been serving both lemon and cherry Jello. At one point, the food order got mixed up, and they accidentally got double the amount of lemon and no cherry--the sailors complained that they had no cherry Jello. The cook devised an experiment: he added red food color to half of the lemon Jello before serving. Of course, this only changed the color, not the flavor--but as the author related the story, all of the sailors perceived the red Jello as cherry-flavored!

It's amazing what our brain will do when expectations are set. Maybe the situation above will help you design your experiment?

Good luck!

-- Brooke

The author of Mindless Eating is Brian Wansink.

Just saying!

Rachel