What is one characteristic of statistical models?

Statistical models are specifically designed to analyze data and identify patterns by incorporating randomness and uncertainty. One of their key characteristics is that they provide probabilistic insights, which means they can estimate the likelihood of different outcomes based on the underlying statistical distributions of the data. This enables decision-making under uncertainty and helps in understanding the probability of various scenarios occurring.

In contrast, other options describe characteristics of different types of models. For instance, while some models do describe physical systems, that characteristic is more typical of deterministic models rather than statistical ones. Likewise, focusing on performance metrics leans more towards operational or performance models, which evaluate specific measurements over statistical patterns. Finally, models that aim to clarify system operations are usually more qualitative in nature or based on functional analysis rather than statistical analysis. Thus, the right emphasis on probabilistic insights is what sets statistical models apart, making option D the correct choice.