A history confound exists when, in addition to any effects of the independent variable,
A) participants' past experiences affect their response to the dependent variable.
B) taking a pretest affects participants' scores on the posttest.
C) an event occurs outside the research situation that affects participants' responses on the dependent variable.
D) children's scores on a measure change over time as a result of their cognitive development.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A history confound occurs when an external event affects participants' responses on the dependent variable, separate from the effect of the independent variable. This can make it difficult to determine the true effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. For example, if a study is measuring the effectiveness of a new teaching method on student test scores, but there is a large societal event (such as a natural disaster or major political event) that occurs during the study, it could affect students' test scores in a way that is not related to the teaching method being studied. This would be a history confound. None of the other answer choices relate to a history confound specifically.

A History Confound Exists When, in Addition to Any Effects