What is the primary purpose of a Stem and Leaf Display in data analysis?

The primary purpose of a Stem and Leaf Display is to visualize frequency distributions. This type of display presents quantitative data in a way that maintains the original values while also providing a clear view of the distribution of the data. By separating each data point into a "stem" (the leading digit or digits) and a "leaf" (the final digit), a Stem and Leaf Display effectively shows the shape of the data distribution, highlighting where values cluster and where gaps may exist.

This visualization allows analysts and researchers to quickly identify patterns such as peaks in the data, which is essential for understanding the underlying characteristics of the dataset. While it does provide some numerical detail about the data itself, its primary utility lies in visualizing how frequently different ranges of values occur within the data set.

Other options such as providing a numerical summary, depicting data categories, or illustrating causal relationships focus on different aspects of data analysis and are not the main function of a Stem and Leaf Display. Thus, the correct answer reflects the display's significant role in analyzing and understanding data distributions rather than summarizing or categorizing the data.