Control Variables
Definition
Control variables are factors that researchers keep constant to ensure that they do not interfere with the results of an experiment.
Analogy
Think of control variables like the background music in a movie. It's always there, but it doesn't change or influence the main action happening on screen. If it did, we wouldn't be able to tell if the audience's reactions were due to the plot or the music.
Related terms
Independent Variable: This is what researchers manipulate in an experiment to see its effect on another variable.
Dependent Variable: This is what changes as a result of manipulating the independent variable.
Confounding Variable: These are factors other than the independent variable that may cause a result.
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