Conflate vs. Confound — What's the Difference?

Conflating involves combining two or more elements, ideas, or concepts, so they are treated as a single entity. This can occur in discussions or analyses where distinctions between the elements are ignored or overlooked, intentionally or not. For instance, conflating facts with opinions in an argument can lead to misleading conclusions. On the other hand, to confound someone is to perplex or bewilder them, making it difficult for them to understand or differentiate between things. Confounding can occur in situations where information is complex or contradictory, such as a confounding variable in a scientific study that makes it hard to establish a clear cause and effect.

Conflation can sometimes result from a lack of knowledge or awareness, where the individual genuinely does not recognize the distinctions between the concepts or items they are merging. It's a cognitive process that simplifies complex information by grouping it together. Confounding, however, often has to do with the external presentation of information or circumstances that introduce confusion or mix-up elements in a way that complicates understanding or analysis.

The act of conflating is not always negative; it can be used deliberately in rhetorical strategies to make a point or argument more persuasive. However, it risks oversimplification or misunderstanding of the subjects at hand. Confounding, particularly in scientific and statistical contexts, is generally seen as a hurdle to clear understanding and accurate interpretation. Researchers strive to identify and control for confounding variables to maintain the integrity of their findings.

In everyday language, conflating is commonly seen in discussions where nuanced differences between ideas or categories are glossed over. For example, conflating love and infatuation, though related, overlooks significant differences between the two feelings. In contrast, confounding is used to describe situations, results, or phenomena that are surprising or difficult to comprehend, often because they go against expected patterns or introduce unexpected complexity, like confounding expectations by acting against the norm.

The key difference lies in their usage and implications: conflating typically deals with the process of blending or merging, often simplifying or obscuring complexities, whereas confounding is about creating confusion, complexity, or astonishment, often complicating understanding.