What does a contingency table display?

A contingency table is used to display the frequency distribution of two categorical variables simultaneously. It organizes data in a matrix format where one categorical variable is represented by rows and the other by columns. Each cell within the table indicates the frequency count or the number of observations that fall into the intersecting categories of the two variables. This allows researchers to easily observe patterns, relationships, or associations between the two categorical variables.

For instance, if one variable is "gender" (male, female) and the other is "preference" (like, dislike), the contingency table will show how many males and females like or dislike a particular item, thus allowing for a clear understanding of the relationship between the two variables. This is why the choice indicating the frequency distribution of two categorical variables is the correct answer, as it captures the intended use of a contingency table effectively.