{"title":"Regularized Exploratory Factor Analysis as an Alternative to Factor Rotation","authors":"David Goretzko","doi":"10.1027/1015-5759/a000792","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is widely used in psychological (assessment) research. Due to its exploratory nature, several researcher degrees of freedom exist on how to conduct the analysis. While simulation studies can provide meaningful insights into which factor retention methods to use to determine the number of latent factors, or which estimation methods recover parameter values most precisely given certain data characteristics, the issue of rotational indeterminacy makes it very difficult to decide which rotation method to apply. An alternative to the two-stage approach of extracting factors and subsequently rotating them to foster interpretability is the so-called regularized EFA. In this paper, we contrast both approaches and demonstrate how regularized EFA can be applied. In doing so, we want to encourage researchers to try out the approach themselves and help them find a way of EFA that appears less arbitrary compared to classical factor rotation.","PeriodicalId":48018,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Psychological Assessment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Journal of Psychological Assessment","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000792","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, APPLIED","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is widely used in psychological (assessment) research. Due to its exploratory nature, several researcher degrees of freedom exist on how to conduct the analysis. While simulation studies can provide meaningful insights into which factor retention methods to use to determine the number of latent factors, or which estimation methods recover parameter values most precisely given certain data characteristics, the issue of rotational indeterminacy makes it very difficult to decide which rotation method to apply. An alternative to the two-stage approach of extracting factors and subsequently rotating them to foster interpretability is the so-called regularized EFA. In this paper, we contrast both approaches and demonstrate how regularized EFA can be applied. In doing so, we want to encourage researchers to try out the approach themselves and help them find a way of EFA that appears less arbitrary compared to classical factor rotation.
期刊介绍:
The main purpose of the EJPA is to present important articles which provide seminal information on both theoretical and applied developments in this field. Articles reporting the construction of new measures or an advancement of an existing measure are given priority. The journal is directed to practitioners as well as to academicians: The conviction of its editors is that the discipline of psychological assessment should, necessarily and firmly, be attached to the roots of psychological science, while going deeply into all the consequences of its applied, practice-oriented development.