What factor contributes to researchers' confidence in not attributing changes in identification accuracy to environmental conditions in Lampinen et al.'s experiment?

The factor that fosters researchers' confidence in not attributing changes in identification accuracy to environmental conditions in Lampinen et al.'s experiment is that the lighting and location are consistent across all treatment conditions. By controlling for these environmental variables, the researchers ensure that any observed differences in identification accuracy can be attributed specifically to the independent variable being manipulated within the experiment rather than to outside influences such as varying lighting conditions or differing locations. This level of control enhances the internal validity of the study and strengthens the conclusions drawn about the relationships being investigated.

While sample size is important for statistical power, and conducting experiments over multiple sessions can help ensure reliability, these factors alone do not directly address the potential confounding effects of environmental variability. Testing various locations would introduce more variables, rather than controlling for them, thus complicating the interpretation of results. Therefore, the decision to keep lighting and location constant is a crucial element in establishing a reliable framework for understanding the outcomes of the study.