Researchers studying pleasant touch sensations measured the firing frequency (impulses per second) of nerves that were stimulated by a light brushing stroke on the forearm and also recorded the subject€™s numerical rating of how pleasant the sensation was. The accompanying data was read from a graph in the paper €œCoding of Pleasant Touch by Unmyelinated Afferents in Humans€ (Nature Neuroscience, April 12, 2009).

a. Estimate the mean change in pleasantness rating associated with an increase of 1 impulse per second in firing frequency using a 95% confidence interval. Interpret the resulting interval.
b. Carry out a hypothesis test to decide if there is convincing evidence of a useful linear relationship between firing frequency and pleasantness rating.

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Pleasantness Rating 0.2 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.0 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.8 Firing Frequency 23 24 25 27 28 34 36 34