A medicine to remove the redness in eyes was tested in a group of 100 students.Each student took either the medicine or a placebo in both eyes.The specific treatment for each student was decided by flipping a coin.The participants in the study did not know if heads or tails resulted in the medication.The participants were given some free time after receiving their drops.The researcher did not keep track of what they did in that free time.It turns out that many of the people receiving the medicine spent their time outside and many of the people receiving the placebo spent their time inside.The results could now be biased because the variable location (inside versus outside)is an example of a ___________ variable.
A)lurking
B)confounding
C)response
D)control

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The variable location is a confounding variable because it is related to both the treatment (medicine or placebo) and the outcome (redness in eyes), and could potentially affect the results of the study. This is because spending time outside could reduce redness in the eyes due to factors such as decreased indoor pollution and increased exposure to natural light, while spending time inside could increase redness due to factors such as decreased ventilation and increased exposure to artificial light. Therefore, it is important to control for this confounding variable in the study design and analysis.

A Medicine to Remove the Redness in Eyes Was Tested