An Easy Guide to Factor Analysis

By Paul Kline

Book Overview

Factor analysis is a statistical technique widely used in psychology and the social sciences. With the advent of powerful computers, factor analysis and other multivariate methods are now available to many more people. An Easy Guide to Factor Analysis presents and explains factor analysis as clearly and simply as possible. The author, Paul Kline, carefully defines all statistical terms and demonstrates step-by-step how to work out a simple example of principal components analysis and rotation. He further explains other methods of factor analysis, including confirmatory and path analysis, and concludes with a discussion of the use of the technique with various examples.
An Easy Guide to Factor Analysis is the clearest, most comprehensible introduction to factor analysis for students. All those who need to use statistics in psychology and the social sciences will find it invaluable.
Paul Kline is Professor of Psychometrics at the University of Exeter. He has been using and teaching factor analysis for thirty years. His previous books include Intelligence: the psychometric view (Routledge 1990) and The Handbook of Psychological Testing (Routledge 1992).

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415094909
• ISBN13: 9780415094900
• Release Date: November 1993
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent book

This book is so excellent. The author clearly explained factor analysis. It is easy to understand. I highly recommended this book.

Very good starting point

Professor Kline's book offers a very readable account on a rather confusing subject. The theory is explained clearly, plenty of examples are presented, and specially, there is a good deal of interpretation exercise. If you're also interested in principal components analysis, don't miss I. T. Jolliffe's book.

A Great Way to Overcome Fear of Factor Analysis

It has become increasingly evident that the social science fields need to evaluate theories and their underlying constructs empirically. If you are similar to myself as a graduate student, you needed to overcome your fears of using factor analysis in your research. This text is excellent for clarifying issues glossed-over in your basic statistics courses, without being too "techie" in its approach. This is a great startup book on factor analysis for fledgling researchers.

Easy Factor Analysis

A very good book, I now actually understand the subject! It even goes on to explain about LISRELL