Frequency Distributions
One method of simplifying and organizing a set of scores is to group them into an organized display that shows the entire set. The display is called a frequency distribution and consists of a tabulation of the number of individuals in each category on the scale of measurement. Thus, a frequency distribution displays two sets of information :
1. The set of categories that make up the scale of measurement.
2. The number of individuals with scores in each of the categories.
Depending on the method used to display the scale of measurement and the frequencies, a frequency distribution can be a table or a graph.The advantage of a frequency distribution is that it allows a researcher to view the entire set of scores. The disadvantage is that constructing a frequency distribution without the aid of a computer can be somewhat tedious, especially with large sets of data.