Comparison of Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis: An Application

Abstract

Factor analysis is one of the multivariate statistical methods that can be used to analyze interrelationships among large number of variables and to explain these variables into smaller set of factors. The method summarizes a special information that belongs to a large number of variables and facilitates the interpretation of the results with data reduction. There are two factor analysis approaches that are widely used. One of them is Explanatory Factor Analysis and the other is Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The aim of this study is to compare two approaches and to give general information about the selection process.

Keywords

• Exploratory factor analysis
• Confirmatory factor analysis

Açıklayıcı ve Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizlerinin Karşılaştırılması: Bir Uygulama

Abstract

Çok Değişkenli İstatistik Yöntemlerden biri olan faktör analizi, aralarında ilişki bulunan çok sayıda değişkenin az sayıda faktörler şeklinde tanımlanmasını sağlamaktadır. Yöntem, çok sayıda değişkene ait özet bilgi vermekte ve boyut indirgeme ile sonuçların yorumlanmasını kolaylaştırmaktadır. Yaygın olarak iki faktör analizi yaklaşımı kullanılmaktadır. Bunlardan biri; Açıklayıcı Faktör Analizi, diğeri ise Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi’dir. Çalışmada her iki yaklaşım karşılaştırılmakta amaca uygun yaklaşımın seçimiyle ilgili genel bilgi verilmektedir.

Keywords

• Açıklayıcı faktör analizi
• Doğrulayıcı faktör analizi
• Doğrulayıcı faktör analizi

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