What term describes the potential influence of an external factor on study outcomes?

The term that describes the potential influence of an external factor on study outcomes is "confounding variable." A confounding variable is an extraneous factor that correlates, either positively or negatively, with both the dependent and independent variables. This means that unless researchers adequately account for confounding variables, it can lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the relationship being studied.

For instance, if a study is examining the effect of a new teaching method on student performance, factors like students' socioeconomic status or previous academic performance may also affect their learning outcomes. If not controlled for, these confounding variables can obscure the true relationship between the teaching method and performance.

In contrast, operational definitions relate to how variables are defined and measured within a study, the control group serves to provide a baseline for comparison, and independent variables are those that researchers manipulate to observe the effect on the dependent variable. None of those concepts addresses the issue of external influences competing with the primary relationship of interest, which is the critical role of confounding variables.