A researcher is interested in understanding how stress influences cognition (the ability to think and reason). She recruits participants from a group of theater majors at her university. She then assigns participants to one of two groups: group 1 engages in a stressful task in which they have to prepare and deliver a speech in front of a group of strangers, and group 2 engages in a non-stressful task, in which they watch a short video clip about baking. She then measures the participant’s cognition by having them complete a moderately difficult crossword puzzle. What is the dependent variable?

a. Number of people
b. The Theater Majors
c. Stress task vs. no stress task
d. Crossword Puzzle Performance