In search of underlying dimensions: The use (and abuse) of factor analysis in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Abstract
An examination of the use of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis by researchers publishing in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin over the previous 5 years is presented, along with a review of recommended methods based on the recent statistical literature. In the case of exploratory factor analysis, an examination and recommendations concerning factor extraction procedures, sample size, number of measured variables, determining the number of factors to extract, factor rotation, and the creation of factor scores are presented. These issues are illustrated via an exploratory factor analysis of data from the University of California, Los Angeles, Loneliness Scale. In the case of confirmatory factor analysis, an examination and recommendations concerning model estimation, evaluating model fit, sample size, the effects of non-normality of the data, and missing data are presented. These issues are illustrated via a confirmatory factor analysis of data from the Revised Causal Dimension Scale.
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PCA was used in place of factor analysis for the ASQ, which is not recommended in scale development, and might have implications for interpretation of the structure of the ASQ.
“Principal component analysis (PCA) was used in place of factor analysis, which is not recommended in scale development, and as such might have implications for interpretation of the structure of the ASQ (see Russell (2002) for a review).”
From Psychometric properties of acceptance measures: A systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as Russell (2002)
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“EFA was used to measure the shared variance of factors and to identify the relationships between items [102].”
Method
- Authors
- Russell, D. W.
- Affiliations
- Iowa State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Russell, Daniel W.
- ORCID
- Russell, Daniel W.
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2002-12
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1629-1646
- ISSN
- 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7433
- OpenAlex
- W2019718024
- Cited by
- 954
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 48 · 2021: 57 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 58 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 47 · 2016: 59 · 2015: 41 · 2014: 61 · 2013: 37 · 2012: 33
- FWCI
- 29.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Psychology Research and Bibliometrics
- Keywords
- factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, factor extraction, factor rotation, sample size, number of factors, model fit, non-normality, missing data, model estimation, loneliness
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