Subjects are randomly assigned to two groups of pairs one gr

Subjects are randomly assigned to two groups of pairs: one group of pairs spends one hour role-playing and practicing active-listening skills; the other group of pairs spends one hour reading an article on active listening. Both groups are given a conflict situation to resolve. Their discussions are videotaped and later coded according to the number of active-listening behaviors they used during their discussions. What is the independent variable and the dependent variable? What would the hypothesis be?

Solution

Null hypothesis: The group of pairs practicing the active listening skills have been able to resolve the conflict situation with higher number of active listening behaviours.

Dependent variable: active listening skills
Here, active listening skills are taken as an dependent variable, since the efficiency of active listening skills are assumed or hypothesised to be increasing via reading or practicing.

Independent variable:
Here, the practicing of skills and reading of active listening books are two separate independent variables.