Cross-Tabulation Analysis

When you want to conduct a survey analysis and compare the results for one or more
variables with the results of another, there’s only one solution: cross-tabulation.

Cross-tabulation (also cross-tabulation or crosstab) is one of the most useful analytical tools
and a mainstay of the market research industry. Cross-tabulation analysis, also known as
contingency table analysis, is most often used to analyze categorical (nominal measurement
scale) data.

At their core, cross-tabulations are simply data tables that present the results of the entire
group of respondents, as well as results from subgroups of survey respondents. With them,
you can examine relationships within the data that might not be readily apparent when only
looking at total survey responses.

What is cross-tabulation? (The precise definition)

For a precise reference, a cross-tabulation is a two- (or more) dimensional table that records
the number (frequency) of respondents that have the specific characteristics described in the
cells of the table. Cross-tabulation tables provide a wealth of information about the
relationship between the variables.

Cross-tabulation analysis has its unique language, using terms such as “banners”, “stubs”,
“Chi-Square Statistic” and “Expected Values.” A typical cross-tabulation table comparing the
two hypothetical variables “City of Residence” with “Favorite Baseball Team” is shown
below. Are city of residence and being a fan of that team independent? The cells of the table
report the frequency counts and percentages for the number of respondents in each cell.

When should you use cross-tabulation?

You typically use cross tabulation when you have categorical variables or data – e.g.
information that can be divided into mutually exclusive groups.
For example, a categorical variable could be customer reviews by region. You divide this
information into reviews per geographical area: North, South, East, West, or state, and then
analyse the relationships between that data.

Another example of when to use cross-tabulation is with product surveys – you could ask a
group of 50 people “Do you like our products?” and use cross-tabulation to get a more
insightful answer. Rather than just recording the 50 responses, you can add another
independent variable, such as gender, and use cross-tabulation to understand how the male
and female respondents view your product.

With this information, you might see that your female customers prefer your products more
than your male customers. You can then use these insights to improve your products for your
male customers.

As such, using two variables – gender and product likability – along with cross-tabulation,
you can get a more comprehensive breakdown of data sets to identify patterns, trends, or
other useful information.