Which of the following best describes a frequency distribution for qualitative data?

• A. A table that lists all possible numerical values and their corresponding frequencies
• B. A table that shows the $\mathrm{mean}$ and $\mathrm{standard\; deviation}$ for each group
• C. A summary table that shows the number of observations for each category of a qualitative variable
• D. A graph that displays the $\mathrm{cumulative\; frequency}$ of a $\mathrm{quantitative\; variable}$

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that qualitative data refers to categorical data, which represents categories or groups rather than numerical values.
2. Recall that a frequency distribution for qualitative data summarizes how many observations fall into each category.
3. Recognize that such a frequency distribution is typically presented as a table listing each category alongside the count (frequency) of observations in that category.
4. Note that options involving numerical values, means, standard deviations, or cumulative frequencies relate to quantitative data, not qualitative data.
5. Conclude that the best description of a frequency distribution for qualitative data is a summary table showing the number of observations for each category of a qualitative variable.