Confounding variables are:

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To begin, we consider what confounding variables are in research methodology. The provided statement, 'Unwanted variables that can affect the measurements we are interested in,' captures the essential idea that confounders are extraneous factors that can influence the observed relationship between the independent and dependent variables if not controlled.

One way to think about this is that a confounder is associated with both the exposure and the outcome, creating a spurious association or masking a real one. For example, in a study linking exercise to health outcomes, age could be a confounder if it relates to both how much people exercise and their health status, potentially biasing the observed effect if not adjusted for.

The phrase 'unwanted variables' emphasizes that these factors are not of primary interest to the research question; they introduce noise or bias into measurements and interpretations. Recognizing confounders is crucial for study design, as researchers attempt to control for them through randomization, stratification, matching, or statistical adjustment.

Since there are no alternative options provided in the list, we focus on validating the single statement's correctness: confounding variables are indeed extraneous factors that can distort measurements and conclusions if left unaccounted for, making the definition accurate and aligned with standard epidemiological and research-methods terminology.

In practical terms, identifying potential confounders at the design stage and during analysis helps ensure that observed associations more accurately reflect causal relationships rather than spuriously arising from other correlated factors.

PSYC-2010-003 (Spring 2025) Quiz 2 (Research Methods)

Confounding variables are:

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