Definitionv1DF-566

Confounding

the technical term for what goes wrong when you change multiple variables simultaneously, where a confounding variable correlates with both your change and your outcome, making it impossible to determine which one actually caused the result

Why This Is a Definition

This definition precisely establishes the meaning of 'confounding' by naming the term, identifying its category (technical term for a problem), and stating its distinguishing characteristics (correlation with both change and outcome, preventing determination of actual cause). It distinguishes this from mere correlation and clearly defines the problem it describes.

Source Lessons

Isolate variables when optimizing

Change one thing at a time so you can attribute improvements to specific changes.

A/B testing for agents

Run two versions of an agent simultaneously and let the data tell you which performs better.

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