Investigation Into the Effects of Using Normal Distribution Theory Methodology for Likert Scale Patient-Reported Outcome Data From Varying Underlying Distributions Including Floor/Ceiling Effects

摘要

Objectives: Utilization of parametric or nonparametric methods for testing Likert scale data is often debated. This 2-part simulation study aims to investigate the sampling distribution of various Likert scale distributions (including floor/ceiling effects) and analyze the effectiveness of using parametric versus nonparametric tests with varying sample sizes.