What is the primary goal of factor analysis?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the primary goal of factor analysis, which is a statistical method used to identify underlying relationships between variables. The options provided suggest different aspects of factor analysis, and the user is expected to identify the correct primary goal from these options.
Answer
Dimensionality reduction by identifying common factors.
The primary goal of factor analysis is to reduce the dimensionality of a dataset by identifying underlying common factors that explain correlations between observed variables.
Answer for screen readers
The primary goal of factor analysis is to reduce the dimensionality of a dataset by identifying underlying common factors that explain correlations between observed variables.
More Information
Factor analysis is a statistical method used primarily in psychometrics, and its results are often expressed in terms of latent or unobservable variables that encapsulate key patterns and relationships within the data.
Tips
A common mistake is misunderstanding factor analysis as a tool for prediction; it is mostly used for data exploration and reduction.
Sources
- 12.2 Factor analysis - Engineering Applications Of Statistics - Fiveable - fiveable.me
- Exploratory Factor Analysis - publichealth.columbia.edu
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