In the context of PROC FREQ, what does the CHISQ option determine?

The CHISQ option in PROC FREQ is specifically used to perform association tests between two categorical variables. When this option is included in a PROC FREQ statement, it produces the Chi-Square statistic, which helps determine whether there is a significant association between the two variables being analyzed in the contingency table. This is essential in comparative studies where understanding the relationship or dependency between the variables is necessary.

For example, if you have two categorical variables, such as "Gender" and "Purchase Type," using the CHISQ option will allow you to test if the purchasing behavior is independent of gender or if there is an association between them. The result will indicate whether the observed frequencies differ significantly from the expected frequencies under the assumption of independence.

In contrast, the other options refer to functions that are not associated with PROC FREQ or do not relate to the CHISQ option. Validating data types, calculating correlation coefficients, or summarizing frequencies addresses different analytic needs that PROC FREQ does not apply to when the CHISQ option is included.