interfering variable
nounUK /ˌɪntəˈfɪərɪŋ ˈveəriəbl/
US /ˌɪntərˈfɪrɪŋ ˈveriəbl/
A thing in a test that changes the result by accident.
The extra noise was an interfering variable that made the experiment hard to read.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A hidden factor that mixes up the link between two things being studied.
Researchers found an interfering variable that explained why the two groups differed.
3. Anything in a science test that is not the thing being measured but still affects it.
Temperature acted as an interfering variable during the plant growth study.
4. A factor that makes a result unclear or misleading.
The survey had an interfering variable because some people answered in a noisy room.