MEANING
The assumption that every relevant covariate pattern permits a nonzero chance of each treatment or exposure being observed.
Use it for
Use when explaining support and feasibility in an observational causal analysis.State whether each comparison is supported by observed treatment overlap.
Words that belong together
- positivity assumption
- violation of positivity
- practical positivity
On the page
The estimate was unreliable where the positivity assumption failed for older patients.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- positivity assumption
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Usage notes
In causal inference, it requires treatment options to occur with positive probability across covariate strata; a small sample alone does not prove violation.
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