Making individual-level inferences about the relationship between exposure and outcome based on group-level data is called confounding.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is called the ecological fallacy, not confounding. Confounding refers to a situation in which a third variable influences both the independent variable and the dependent variable, potentially misleading the interpretation of the relationship between the two.

Making Individual-Level Inferences About the Relationship Between Exposure and Outcome