What is the main characteristic of qualitative data?

Qualitative data is primarily focused on understanding the meanings, characteristics, and context of a subject rather than providing measurable quantities. This type of data is used to capture opinions, feelings, motivations, and experiences, which are often expressed through words, narratives, or descriptions. For instance, interviews, open-ended survey responses, and observations fall under qualitative data as they seek to explain how individuals perceive their experiences and the behaviors associated with them.

By emphasizing opinions and behaviors, qualitative data allows researchers and practitioners to gather rich, detailed insights that help in understanding complex phenomena, which is especially relevant in fields like prevention where human factors play a critical role in interventions and community assessments. The other options focus primarily on quantitative aspects, such as numerical values, frequency measurement, and statistical analysis, which do not capture the depth of understanding that qualitative data provides.