What is a frequency distribution?
Q: What is a frequency distribution?
A: A frequency distribution is a list of the values that a variable takes in a sample, ordered by quantity. It shows how many times each value appears.
Q: How might the frequency distribution of responses to a five-point Likert scale look?
A: The frequency distribution of responses to a five-point Likert scale might look like a simple table showing the number of people who rated each point on the scale.
Q: What are two drawbacks to using this type of table?
A: Two drawbacks to using this type of table are that it can be difficult or even impossible when dealing with continuous values or when there are too many possible values.
Q: How is this scheme different when dealing with continuous values or large numbers of possible values?
A: When dealing with continuous values or large numbers of possible values, a slightly different scheme based on range of values may be used instead.
Q: How might the frequency table for student heights look?
A: The frequency table for student heights might show ranges and how many students fall into each range.
Q: What information does the frequency distribution provide?
A: The frequency distribution provides information about how often certain variables appear in samples and how they are distributed across those samples.
