A nutritionist is examining the relationship between fiber consumption and gastrointestinal health. He believes that consuming fiber is good for GI health. To test his hypothesis, he recruits a group of college students and asks each one the amount of fiber consumed per day. He also asks each participant in the study how many episodes of GI distress (upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting) he or she has experienced in the past year.
a) Name the independent variable and the dependent variable (2.5 points)
b) Determine the research design (2.5 points)