Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Programming Certification Practice Exam

Frequency distributions are most effective for which type of values?

1. continuous values

2. numeric values

3. categorical values

4. unique values

The correct answer is: categorical values

Frequency distributions are particularly effective for categorical values due to the way they summarize and organize data. Categorical values represent discrete groups or categories, such as gender, ethnicity, or product categories, making it easier to visualize the data distribution across different categories. Using a frequency distribution for categorical data allows researchers and analysts to quickly assess how many observations fall within each category, providing insights into the prevalence of certain groups in a given dataset. For example, in a survey with responses on favorite types of fruit, a frequency distribution would clearly illustrate how many respondents chose each fruit category, aiding in understanding consumer preferences. In contrast, continuous values represent a range of measurements rather than distinct categories, making frequency distributions less straightforward for these types of data. Numeric values can include continuous and discrete data but do not have the categorical categorization needed for effective frequency distribution. Unique values, while interesting, do not lend themselves to frequency distribution since they do not show repetition across categories. Thus, the use of frequency distributions is best aligned with categorical values, highlighting their distinctiveness and allowing for meaningful comparisons across those categories.