Passage: A telecommunications firm observed that remote software engineers who voluntarily completed an asynchronous time-management training module logged 30% fewer project delays over six months than remote software engineers who did not complete the module. The human resources department concluded that the time-management training module directly caused the reduction in project delays.
Statement: If software engineers who possessed pre-existing high levels of self-motivation and organizational skills were significantly more likely to voluntarily enroll in the module, this factor functions as a confounding variable that undermines the human resources department's causal conclusion.
Answer: Answer
Answer
The statement is True. Pre-existing baseline traits (such as self-motivation and organizational skills) among voluntary enrollees act as a confounding third variable, providing an alternative explanation for the observed reduction in project delays.
The statement accurately identifies a classic confounding variable (self-selection bias). In causal reasoning, if the group choosing to undergo an intervention already possesses traits that foster the desired outcome, one cannot attribute the outcome solely to the intervention.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Causal Flaws and Confounding Variables