What term refers to any variable besides the independent variable that may impact the dependent variable?

The term that describes any variable, besides the independent variable, that may influence the dependent variable is known as an extraneous variable. Extraneous variables can introduce noise into an experiment and confound the results, making it difficult to determine the direct effects of the independent variable on the dependent variable. Researchers strive to identify and control for extraneous variables to ensure that the variance in the dependent variable is primarily due to the manipulation of the independent variable, thus enhancing the internal validity of the study.

Control variables, while important in experiments, refer specifically to variables that are held constant to prevent them from affecting the results, and thus do not serve the same purpose as extraneous variables. The independent variable is the factor that the researcher manipulates, and the dependent variable is the outcome that is measured. Thus, these definitions reinforce why extraneous variable is the correct term for identifying those external factors that can potentially impact the results.