Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) as an Analytical Technique to Assess Measurement Error in Survey Research

Abstract

Common method variance (CMV), a systematic measurement error, is a key source of contamination in survey research. This article examines a potential source of CMV—socially desirable responding (SDR)—in the context of Indian culture. The statistical remedies of method variance have been critically evaluated for their suitability to capture SDR. The statistical remedy of ‘controlling for the effect of a directly measured latent method factor’ using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) has been profoundly explained. The procedural guidelines on executing CFA using AMOS have been delineated to facilitate substantive research vulnerable to method variance.