What does a frequency distribution illustrate?

A frequency distribution is a statistical tool that presents the number of times (the frequency) each distinct value or group of values occurs within a dataset. This representation allows researchers to see the distribution of data points and understand patterns, such as whether the data is skewed, symmetrical, or has any peaks, which can be critical for data analysis and interpretation.

By illustrating how often each value appears, frequency distributions help summarize large datasets into a more comprehensible format. This understanding can serve as a basis for further analysis, such as calculating measures of central tendency (like the mean or median) or dispersion (like range or standard deviation).

In contrast, correlations between two variables, the identification of outliers, and the indication of confidence levels pertain to different statistical concepts and analyses. Correlation relates to the relationship between two variables, outliers refer to exceptionally high or low values that differ significantly from the rest of the data, and confidence levels pertain to inferential statistics regarding the precision of parameter estimates based on sample data. These concepts do not reflect the primary purpose of a frequency distribution.