Observed Frequency
In hypothesis testing with categorical data, the observed frequency is the actual number of observations that fall into each category or cell combination. These are the data values directly obtained from the sample or experiment.
Real World
In a YouGov political survey, observed frequencies are the actual numbers of respondents who identified with each party — these raw counts are recorded directly from the sample before any calculations are performed.
Exam Focus
Never round observed frequencies; they are whole number counts and must be recorded exactly as given in the data.
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