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exploratory factor analysis  

Definition

  • Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is a multivariate statistical technique to model the covariance structure of the observed variables by three sets of parameters: (a) factor loadings associated with latent (i.e., unobserved) variables called factors, (b) residual variances called unique variances, and (c) factor correlations. EFA aims at explaining the relationship of many observed variables by a relatively small number of factors. [Source: Encyclopedia of Research Design; Exploratory Factor Analysis]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/exploratory_factor_analysis

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