Definition
The floor effect is a statistical phenomenon in which most data points fall in the very low range of possible values (“bottom out” on the “floor” of the measure). The floor effect is often seen in assessment when a test is too challenging for a given target population. In turn, many subjects obtain scores that are clustered together at the bottom of a measure, with very few extending across the possible range of scores. This results in a skewed distribution with very limited variability. Floor effects greatly limit the clinical utility of measures. For example, if there are floor effects on a measure prior to and following an intervention designed for individuals with ASD, it will not be possible to observe any actual benefits that might have occurred for participants.
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References and Readings
Everitt, B. S. (2006). The Cambridge dictionary of statistics (3rd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Jackson, S. L. (2011). Research methods and statistics: A critical thinking approach (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
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Hurst, H. (2013). Floor Effect. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_230
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_230
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