ERIC Number: EJ743647
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 28
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1070-5511
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Available Date: N/A
A Monte Carlo Study of Recovery of Weak Factor Loadings in Confirmatory Factor Analysis
Ximenez, Carmen
Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, v13 n4 p587-614 2006
The recovery of weak factors has been extensively studied in the context of exploratory factor analysis. This article presents the results of a Monte Carlo simulation study of recovery of weak factor loadings in confirmatory factor analysis under conditions of estimation method (maximum likelihood vs. unweighted least squares), sample size, loading size, factor correlation, and model specification (correct vs. incorrect). The effects of these variables on goodness of fit and convergence are also examined. Results show that recovery of weak factor loadings, goodness of fit, and convergence are improved when factors are correlated and models are correctly specified. Additionally, unweighted least squares produces more convergent solutions and successfully recovers the weak factor loadings in some instances where maximum likelihood fails. The implications of these findings are discussed and compared to previous research.
Descriptors: Monte Carlo Methods, Factor Analysis, Least Squares Statistics, Sample Size, Correlation, Standards, Models, Goodness of Fit, Maximum Likelihood Statistics, Comparative Analysis
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, NJ 07430. Tel: 800-926-6579; Tel: 201-258-2200; Fax: 201-236-0072; e-mail: journals@erlbaum.com; Web site: https://www.erlbaum.com.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A