What type of data does qualitative data represent?

Qualitative data represents non-numerical characteristics, which primarily relate to descriptive attributes and categories rather than measurements or counts. This type of data often includes characteristics such as colors, names, labels, or preferences that cannot be quantified in a meaningful way with numbers.

For instance, if one were to survey people's favorite types of ice cream, the responses would be qualitative data, such as "chocolate," "vanilla," or "strawberry." These categories provide insights into behaviors and preferences but do not lend themselves to numerical representation in the same way that quantitative data does.

In contrast, numerical categories are indicative of quantitative data, which deal with measurable quantities. Statistical measurements often involve numerical data that can be used for computation and analysis. Lastly, confidence intervals pertain to inferential statistics and are used to estimate the reliability and variability of sample statistics, not the nature of data itself. Therefore, identifying qualitative data as non-numerical characteristics aligns with its definition and usage in statistics.