Satisfaction level and Diabetes Researchers wanted to determine if there was an association between the level of satisfaction of an individual and their risk of diabetes. The researchers studied 1678 people over the course of 8 years.

During this 8-year period, they interviewed the individuals and asked questions about their daily lives and the hassles they face.

In addition, hypothetical scenarios were presented to determine how each individual would handle the situation. These interviews were videotaped and studied to assess the emotions of the individuals. The researchers also determined which individuals in the study experienced any type of diabetes over the 8-year period. After their analysis, the researchers concluded that the satisfied individuals were less likely to experience diabetes.

(a) What type of observational study was this? Explain.

(b) What is the response variable? What is the explanatory variable?

(c) In the report, the researchers stated that “the research team also hasn’t ruled out that a common factor like genetics could be causing both the emotions and the diabetes.” Explain what this sentence means.