What is a dependent variable in psychology?

The dependent variable is the thing a researcher measures in an experiment. Think of it as the 'effect'. The researcher changes something else (the independent variable) to see what happens. They want to see how this change influences the dependent variable.

For example, imagine a study on a new medication for sleep. The medication is the independent variable. Some people get it, some do not. The 'dependent variable' is the number of hours the people sleep. The researcher measures this. The hours of sleep 'depends' on if they took the medication.

So, it is the outcome you measure. I hope my English is clear and this helps you