A threat to internal validity occurs only if a potential design confound varies ______________ with the independent variable.
A) Haphazardly
B) Systematically
C) Selectively
D) Spontaneously
E) Cyclically

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A potential design confound can threaten internal validity only if it varies systematically with the independent variable. This means that the confounding variable is changing in a consistent and predictable way along with the manipulation of the independent variable, making it difficult to determine if the effect on the dependent variable is due to the independent variable or the confounding variable. The other answer choices (haphazardly, selectively, spontaneously, cyclically) do not accurately capture the nature of a systematic variation between a confounding variable and the independent variable.

A Threat to Internal Validity Occurs Only If a Potential