Two-year old twins Michael and Mitchell suffer from delayed development due to their birth mother's poor nutrition during pregnancy. In using these twins as part of an adoption study, the apparent ______ between the twins could be attributed to this ______ factor.
A) similarities; confounding
B) differences; confounding
C) similarities; attributing
D) differences; attributing

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B) differences; confounding because the term "confounding factor" refers to a variable that influences both the dependent variable and independent variable, causing a spurious association. In this context, the poor nutrition of the birth mother is a confounding factor that could lead to differences in the development of the twins, affecting the outcome of the adoption study by introducing variability that is not due to the adoption environment or genetics alone.

Two-Year Old Twins Michael and Mitchell Suffer from Delayed Development