A confounding variable is a variable whose effect on a response cannot be distinguished from the effect of another variable. In an observational study, an unaccounted confounding variable can produce an apparent association between an independent variable and a dependent variable even when no direct causal effect exists.
Confounding Variable
See also
Dependent Variable, Experimental Design, Independent Variable, Lurking Variable, Observational StudyExplore with Wolfram|Alpha
References
Moore, D. S. and McCabe, G. P. Introduction to the Practice of Statistics, 4th ed. New York: W. H. Freeman, 2002.Cite this as:
Weisstein, Eric W. "Confounding Variable." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/ConfoundingVariable.html