Factor analysis

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Factor analysis is a way to look at many pieces of information and find groups among them. These groups are called "factors".[1]

Factor analysis is used to see if many things are related or similar. For example, if a person is asked many questions, factor analysis could be used to see if some of the answers are similar.[2]

This method is used in many fields. For example, in psychology, it is used to find out if certain behaviors or feelings are related. In business, it can be used to see if different products are liked by the same group of people.

Factor analysis makes it easier to understand large amounts of data. It can help to show important patterns and relationships in the data. It can also help to simplify complex information.[3]

References[change | change source]

  1. Gorsuch, Richard L. (2013-05-13). Factor Analysis. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-1-134-92078-5.
  2. Kline, Paul (2014-02-25). An Easy Guide to Factor Analysis. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-72560-2.
  3. Fabrigar, Leandre R.; Wegener, Duane T. (2011-12-22). Exploratory Factor Analysis. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-981351-3.