noun phrase · academic
control variable
UK/kənˈtrəʊl ˈveəriəbl/US/kənˈtroʊl ˈveriəbl/con·TROL VA·ri·a·ble
a variable that is kept constant to prevent it from affecting the outcome of an experiment.
Examples
“Temperature was treated as a control variable during the experiment.”
“By keeping lighting as a control variable, the team reduced noise in the data.”
“Researchers must identify control variables when designing the study.”
Band 8 sentence
“In the protocol we explicitly listed all control variables to ensure the observed effects could be attributed to the intervention.”
Collocations
- identify control variables
- keep X as a control variable
Word family
Common mistakes
controlled variable→control variable
control factor→control variable
Say it for a higher band
5control→6constant→7+control variable
Synonyms
constant
Easily confused
confounding variable
“Age acted as a confounding variable in the study, affecting both exposure and outcome.”
Related words
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In Science & Research
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