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What is Factor Analysis?
What is Factor Analysis?
Factor is a set of variables that are highly interrelated.
Factor analysis...
- is a statistical method used to describe variability among observed variables.
- explains the interrelationships among a set of observed variables.
- is a technique that is used to reduce a large number of variables into fewer numbers of factors.
Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)
Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)
EFA explores the data & provides information about how many constructs are needed to represent the data.
EFA is an exploratory technique applied to a set of observed variables that seeks to find underlying factors.
The constructs are derived from statistical results, not from theory, & so the constructs can only be named/labelled after the EFA.
EFA is data driven.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)
CFA is theory driven.
Prior to CFA, the researcher MUST:
- Specify the number of constructs that exist within a set of items.
- Specify at which construct each item will load highly on.
- Assign items to construct based on theory. CFA does not assign them to construct.
Exercise
Exercise
Comparing EFA and CFA. Please download a dataset here.
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