Confounding factors are variables in a study or experiment that can affect the dependent variable.
What are confounding factors?
Confounding factors are extraneous variables in a study that may affect the dependent variable and lead to incorrect conclusions about the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
These factors are often related to both the independent and dependent variables, making it challenging to determine the true cause-and-effect relationship.
Let's consider a study examining the relationship between regular exercise and heart health.
- The independent variable is the amount of exercise (measured in hours per week),
- the dependent variable is heart health (measured by a cardiovascular fitness test).
- A potential confounding factor in this study could be diet.