confounding factors

Confounding factors are variables that can influence both the cause and the effect in a study, making it hard to determine if one truly causes the other. For example, if we find a link between exercise and health, a confounder could be diet, since people who exercise might also eat healthier. These factors can lead to misleading conclusions if not properly controlled. Recognizing and accounting for confounders helps ensure that the relationship observed is more likely to be accurate and not due to some third variable influencing the results.