Definition
Plain language
A hidden factor that quietly influences a result, making it look like one thing caused another when something else was really at work.
As stated in the literature
A variable correlated with both the treatment and the outcome, which biases an estimated effect unless controlled for; here, a policy's sponsor confounds the model's feasibility score.
Also called: confounding
Why it matters: Without accounting for confounders, you can draw the wrong conclusion about what actually causes an outcome and act on a false lesson.
For example, if students who use a study app get better grades, the real cause might be that motivated students both download the app and study harder anyway.
Heard on the show
“Geopolitical endorsement is a confounder.”Episode 215 — The Same Policy Scored 85 for the US and 36 for Russia