Focus: the Hidden Driver of Excellence | Daniel Goleman | Talks at Google

The floor effect refers to a phenomenon in which the lowest possible score on a test or measurement instrument "floors" the scores of some individuals, making it difficult or impossible to distinguish between those who scored at the lowest level and those who may have scored even lower.

For example, a test with a lowest possible score of 0 have a floor effect for individuals who scored 0, making it impossible to determine if they truly have no knowledge or skill in the subject being tested, or if they are simply unable to perform any better on the test.

Amgdala is a part of the brain involved in emotional intelligence. When a threat is detected, amygdala activates the brain for fear response.

It's also responsible for a fear formation of memories. When we experience a fear-provoking event, the amygdala sends a signal to hippocampus to save the event as a long-term memory. This is why traumatic events are often remembered much more vividly than neutral events.