Question

independent practice
while analyzing a data set, a researcher notices that as the number of cars a person owns increases, so does their life expectancy.
which of the following factors should be researcher be on the lookout for?
randomization
placebo
control
confounding

Explanation:

• Randomization: Refers to randomly assigning participants to groups in an experiment. It's not relevant here as the scenario is about analyzing an existing data set, not conducting an experiment with random assignment.
• Placebo: A placebo is a harmless substance or treatment used in experiments (usually medical) to compare against a real treatment. This has no connection to the relationship between cars owned and life expectancy in the given data - set analysis.
• Control: In an experiment, a control group is a group that does not receive the treatment. Again, since this is data - set analysis (not an experiment with treatment and control groups), this is not the factor to look for.
• Confounding: A confounding variable is a variable that is related to both the independent variable (number of cars owned) and the dependent variable (life expectancy). For example, wealth could be a confounding variable. Wealthier people may be able to afford more cars and also have access to better healthcare (which can increase life expectancy). So, the researcher should be on the lookout for confounding variables.

Answer:

Confounding