Why is a confounding variable unacceptable in a true experiment?
A) It can distort the effect of the independent variable.
B) It can disrupt the normal behavior of participants.
C) It threatens internal validity by providing an alternative explanation for the results.
D) It creates a directionality problem that undermines a cause-and-effect conclusion.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Confounding variables threaten internal validity by providing an alternative explanation for the results. This means that researchers cannot be certain whether the independent variable is truly responsible for any observed changes or if it is the confounding variable instead. This undermines the reliability and validity of the experiment.

Why Is a Confounding Variable Unacceptable in a True Experiment