Many variables we want to measure just can’t be directly measured with a single variable. Instead you have to combine a set of variables into a single index.
But how do you determine which variables to combine and how best to combine them?
Exploratory Factor Analysis.
EFA is a method for finding a measurement for one or more unmeasurable (latent) variables from a set of related observed variables. It is especially useful for scale construction.
In this webinar, you will learn through three examples an overview of EFA, including:
- The five steps to conducting an EFA
- Key concepts like rotation
- Factor scores
- The importance of interpretability
Note: This training is an exclusive benefit to members of the Statistically Speaking Membership Program and part of the Stat’s Amore Trainings Series. Each Stat’s Amore Training is approximately 90 minutes long.
About the Instructor
Karen Grace-Martin helps statistics practitioners gain an intuitive understanding of how statistics is applied to real data in research studies.
She has guided and trained researchers through their statistical analysis for over 15 years as a statistical consultant at Cornell University and through The Analysis Factor. She has master’s degrees in both applied statistics and social psychology and is an expert in SPSS and SAS.
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Creating a quality scale for a latent construct (a variable that cannot be directly measured with one variable) takes many steps. Structural Equation Modeling is set up well for this task.
One important step in creating scales is making sure the scale measures the latent construct equally well and the same way for different groups of individuals.
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Whenever you use a multi-item scale to measure a construct, a key step is to create a score for each subject in the data set.
This score is an estimate of the value of the latent construct (factor) the scale is measuring for each subject. In fact, calculating this score is the final step of running a Confirmatory Factor Analysis.
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After you are done with the odyssey of exploratory factor analysis (aka a reliable and valid instrument)…you may find yourself at the beginning of a journey rather than the ending.
The process of performing exploratory factor analysis usually seeks to answer whether a given set of items form a coherent factor (or often several factors). If you decide on the number and type of factors, the next step is to evaluate how well those factors are measured.
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Many times in science we are intrigued to measure an underlying characteristic that cannot be observed or measured directly. This measure is hypothesized to exist to explain variables, such as behavior, that can be observed.
The measurable variables are called manifest variables. The unmeasurable are called latent variables.
Latent variables are often called factors, especially in the context of factor analysis.
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Today, I would like to briefly describe four misconceptions that I feel are commonly perceived by novice researchers in Exploratory Factor Analysis:
Misconception 1: The choice between component and common factor extraction procedures is not so important.
In Principal Component Analysis, a set of variables is transformed into a smaller set of linear composites known as components. This method of analysis is essentially a method for data reduction.
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