Aresearcher is studying people of normal weight and obese individuals.She wants to know how the time of day affects hunger feelings in these two groups. when, during the experiment, the researcher looks at her watch, she has introduced what into the research study?
When the researcher looks at her watch during the experiment, she has introduced a confounding variable into the research study. A confounding variable is an external factor that affects the outcome of a study and is correlated with both the independent and dependent variables. In this case, the time of day is the confounding variable, as it can influence hunger feelings in both normal weight and obese individuals. To address this potential confound, the researcher could consider implementing counterbalancing techniques, such as randomizing the order in which participants are exposed to the different time points or varying the experimental sessions across multiple days and times. This helps ensure that any observed differences in hunger feelings can be attributed to factors other than the time of day.
