Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Special Review: Evaluation Of The Exploratory Factor Analysis Programs Provided In Spssx And Spss/Pc+, Gregory J. Boyle

Gregory J. Boyle

Given the frequent use of SPSSX and SPSS/PC+ exploratory factor analysis in analyzing multivariate psychometric data, it is germane to examine the limitations of the Factor program as it currently exists. Over recent years, the routines in these packages generally have been developed and expanded considerably. In particular, the exploratory factor analysis procedures have been greatly extended and enhanced with inclusion of additional estimation methods such as minimum likelihood, unweighted least squares, generalized least squares, and so on. Like­ wise, availability of a Scree plot of the latent roots against factor number has facilitated determination of the appropriate factor-extraction number. …