Research has demonstrated time and time again that ice cream sales are related to shark attacks. As people buy and eat more ice creak, shark attacks increase.

As it turns out, these two variables are related because of another variable, the weather. As it gets warmer, more people go swimming in the ocean (where there are sharks), and as it gets warmer, people buy more ice cream.

In this example, "the weather" is an example of a...

A. mediated-moderation variable.

B. third variable.

C. non-significant variable.

D. spurious variable.