Researchers Have Shown That Teacher Evaluations Based on Brief Viewings

Researchers have shown that teacher evaluations based on brief viewings of videotapes made by students who were not enrolled in a course correlate well with end-of-the-semester teacher evaluations made by students enrolled in the class.The researchers suggest that the relationship occurs because people are attuned to pick up information about a person's affect quickly because this information is adaptive.Based on the correlational evidence alone,the researchers' explanation for their findings can best be considered a

A) causal inference.
B) speculation.
C) sound conclusion.
D) confirmed hypothesis.