Aclothing manufacturer checks the level of satisfaction people have with the merchandise by measuring the number of returns versus the number sold. describe why this scenario represents an observational study.

An observational study is a study where the researcher has no influence on the outcome. The objective of this type of study is to collect data based on observations and draw conclusions from the results.

The scenario shows an observational study because the researcher (clothing manufacturer, in this case), merely makes observations and records it. He can only draw conclusions from what was recorded and the manufacturer cannot influence the number of returned or sold merchandise. So this makes this an observational study.