Happiness and Your Heart Is there an association between level of happiness and the risk of heart disease? Researchers studied 1739 people over a 10-year period and asked questions about their daily lives and the hassles they face. The researchers also determined which individuals in the study experienced any type of heart disease. After their analysis, they concluded that happy individuals are less likely to experience heart disease. Source: European Heart Journal 31 (9):1065–1070, February 2010.


What is the response variable? What is the explanatory variable?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of the study. The researchers are investigating whether there is a relationship between happiness and the risk of heart disease over a 10-year period.
2. Step 2: Identify the response variable. The response variable is the outcome or the variable that the researchers are trying to explain or predict. In this case, it is whether or not an individual experiences heart disease.
3. Step 3: Identify the explanatory variable. The explanatory variable is the variable that is believed to influence or explain changes in the response variable. Here, it is the level of happiness of the individuals.
4. Step 4: Summarize the variables clearly: The response variable is the presence or absence of heart disease, and the explanatory variable is the level of happiness.
5. Step 5: Recognize that this setup allows researchers to analyze if happiness (explanatory) affects the likelihood of heart disease (response).

Key Concepts

Response Variable

The response variable is the outcome or dependent variable that researchers measure to see if it is affected by other factors. In this study, it is whether or not individuals experienced heart disease, as this is the health outcome being analyzed.

Explanatory Variable

The explanatory variable is the independent variable that is believed to influence or explain changes in the response variable. Here, it is the level of happiness, as researchers are investigating if happiness affects the risk of heart disease.

Association Between Variables

An association indicates a relationship or correlation between two variables, but it does not imply causation. This study examines whether there is an association between happiness and heart disease risk, meaning they look for patterns or links without necessarily proving one causes the other.