What is the observed frequency in a study?

The observed frequency in a study refers to the actual count of individuals or occurrences that are identified within a specific category during research. This concept is fundamental in statistics, particularly in hypothesis testing and chi-square analyses, where researchers are interested in comparing the observed frequency to the expected frequency (which is often based on theoretical models or prior data).

When we refer to the observed frequency, we emphasize the real data collected during the study rather than what might be expected or theorized. This distinction allows researchers to assess how well their data fits a particular hypothesis or model. In contrast, the theoretical number pertains to predictions made prior to conducting the research, and thus does not reflect the actual findings from the study's participants. The average score of participants pertains to a summary statistic that does not directly provide the count of individuals in categories, and the total sample size is the aggregate number of participants involved in the study, but does not specify how those participants are distributed across various categories. Thus, recognizing the observed frequency helps in accurately interpreting the results of statistical tests applied to the data.