For the article below what is the independent. dependent, mediating, and moderating variables? Also what is the main hypothesis for the article below?

Article:

A surge in university enrolments across North America and Western Europe has increased the discrepancy between the number of students who enter the system and the number who graduate (Montmarquette, Mahseredjiana, & Houle, 2001). Only 35% of full-time university students in the United States earn their degree in the expected 4 years; this figure rises to just 57% after 6 years (Knapp, Kelly-Reid, Whitmore, & Miller, 2007). Twentyfive percent never complete at all. These substantial rates of school departure negatively affect university budgets and opinions about university quality (Braxton, Hirschy, & McClendon, 2004). The consequences of failing to obtain a university degree are even greater for students. Pennington (2004) reported that, on average, individuals with bachelor's degrees earn 70% more than high school graduates. Individuals with a bachelor's degree also have lower unemployment rates (2.6% in 2008) than those with a high school diploma (5.7% in 2008; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009). Many general factorsincluding lack of goal clarity, decreased motivation, disorganized thinking, financial stress, and relationship problemscan hinder academic performance and increase the probability of course dropout (Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges, & Hayek, 2007).

Adjusting to the university environment itself can undermine academic achievement and degree completion (Fisher, 1988; Pennebaker, Colder, & Sharp, 1990). Many universities offer mentoring programs, seminars, and service-learning programs to help ease the transition to university life. These programs might broadly improve the student experience (Bean & Eaton, 2001). However, very few of the studies analyzing their success used rigorous, randomized, and controlled experimental designs. In the present longitudinal study, we explored the possibility that participation in a formalized, intensive, online, personal goalsetting program might serve as an effective intervention for struggling university students. Personal goals reflect consciously articulated and personally meaningful objectives that guide perception, emotion, thought, and action (Elliot, Chirkov, Kim, & Sheldon, 2001; Wiese & Freund, 2005). In the current study, we tested the possibility that clearly articulating such goals would lead to improved academic performance.

Goal-setting theory emerged within the field of industrial- organizational psychology over the course of the last 35 years (Latham & Locke, 2007). The basic premise is simple: Explicitly setting goals can markedly improve performance at any given task. Individuals with clear goals appear more able to direct attention and effort toward goal-relevant activities and away from goal-irrelevant activities, demonstrating a greater capacity for selfregulation. The establishment of clear goals also appears to increase enthusiasm, with more important goals leading to the production of greater energy than less important goals. Goal clarity increases persistence, making individuals less susceptible to the undermining effects of anxiety, disappointment, and frustration (Locke & Latham, 2002; Locke, Shaw, Saari, & Latham, 1981; Smith, Locke, & Barry, 1990). In the current study, we assessed the effectiveness of a computerized goal-setting program for students experiencing academic difficulty. It was hypothesized that this goal-setting intervention would lead to improvements in GPA and studentretention rates.