Factor Analysis in Educational Research

Abstract

SHORTER treatments of factor methods and results have appeared passim in previous issues of the REVIEW in the past 12 years. In the cycle dealing with research methods in education, the following articles deserve mention: Vol. XII, December 1942, Chapter VII (Fattu); Vol XV, December 1945, Chapter VII (Lorge); Vol. XVIII, December 1948, Chapter VIII (Fattu). Much greater attention has been paid to factor analysis in the cycle dealing with educational and psychological tests; the following articles may be consulted: Vol. XI, February 1941, Chapters II (Stuit), V (Traxler), and VIII (Flanagan); Vol. XIV, February 1944, Chapters IV (Sells), V (Traxler), and X (Conrad); Vol. XVII, February 1947, Chapters II (Findley, Turnbull, and Conrad), III (Carter), IV (Ellis), and VIII (Travers); and Vol. XX, February 1950, Chapters I (Segel and Gerberich), II (Cornell and Gillette), III (Stuit), IV (Traxler and Jacobs), and IX (Ebel). Since this is the first full-scale treatment of factor analysis which has appeared in the REVIEW since the December 1939 issue it seems wise to consider as a whole the work that has been done since that time, with particular attention to more recent developments. Our purpose is to present a basis for the evaluation of factor analysis as a research technic, with proper concern for results and applications.