Answer:
food deprivation
Explanation:
Independent variable: In scientific research, the term "independent variable" is described as one of the variables that are being manipulated, altered, and change by the experimenter or the researcher to see or analyze its effect or consequences on the second variable named dependent variable. If an investigator or researcher makes any changes in the "independent variable" then a direct effect is being noticed in the "dependent variable" of the same experimenter or research.
In the question above, the independent variable is "food deprivation".