The crowds at the local beach have decreased over the last week. Temperatures are very high in the area, but people seem to be staying away from the beach. Why?

I figured if the temperature cause the people to stay away from the beach would it be the independent variable? The dependent variable maybe the people that's visiting the beach maybe, But what is the controlled variable? Am i right?

Question

The crowds at the local beach have decreased over the last week. Temperatures are very high in the area, but people seem to be staying away from the beach. Why?
 
I figured if the temperature cause the people to stay away from the beach would it be the independent variable?  The dependent variable maybe the people that's visiting the beach maybe, But what is the controlled variable? Am i right?

aaronq · Answer

You are right, temp is the independent v, and the amount of people is the dependent v.