使用因子分析最重要的问题之一是它的解释。因子分析经常使用因子轮换来增强其解释。经过令人满意的旋转后,旋转后的因子加载矩阵L'将具有相同的表示相关矩阵的能力,可以用作因子加载矩阵,而不是未旋转的矩阵L。
旋转的目的是使旋转后的因子加载矩阵具有一些理想的性质。使用的一种方法是旋转因子加载矩阵,使旋转后的矩阵具有简单的结构。
LL Thurstone 介绍了简单结构原理,作为因子旋转的一般指南:
简单结构标准:
- 因子矩阵的每一行应至少包含一个零
- 如果有 m 个公因子,则因子矩阵的每一列应至少有 m 个零
- 对于因子矩阵中的每一对列,应该有几个变量的条目在一个列中接近于零,但在另一列中不接近
- 对于因子矩阵中的每一对列,当有四个或更多因子时,大部分变量在两列中的条目都应接近零
- 对于因子矩阵中的每一对列,两列中应该只有少量具有非零条目的变量
理想的简单结构是这样的:
- 每个项目仅在一个因素上具有高负载或有意义的负载,并且
- 每个因素仅对某些项目具有高负载或有意义的负载。
问题是,尝试几种旋转方法的组合以及每种方法接受的参数(特别是对于倾斜的参数),候选矩阵的数量会增加,很难看出哪个更符合上述标准。
当我第一次遇到这个问题时,我意识到我无法仅仅通过“查看”它们来选择最佳匹配,我需要一个算法来帮助我做出决定。在项目截止日期的压力下,我能做的最多就是在 MATLAB 中编写以下代码,它一次接受一个旋转矩阵并返回(在某些假设下)是否满足每个标准。一个新版本(如果我想升级它)将接受一个 3d 矩阵(一组 2d 矩阵)作为参数,并且算法应该返回更符合上述标准的那个。
我只是在征求您的意见(我也认为该方法本身的有用性受到批评),也许是旋转矩阵选择问题的更好方法。如果有人想提供一些代码,我更喜欢 R 或 MATLAB。
PS 上述简单结构准则公式可以在PETT , M., LACKEY, N., SULLIVAN, J.
PS2(来自同一本书):“因子分析成功的测试是它可以再现原始 corr 矩阵的程度。如果您还使用斜解,请在所有中选择产生最多最高和最低因子的那个载荷。” 这听起来像是算法可以使用的另一个约束。
function [] = simple_structure_criteria (my_pattern_table)
%Simple Structure Criteria
%Making Sense of Factor Analysis, page 132
disp(' ');
disp('Simple Structure Criteria (Thurstone):');
disp('1. Each row of the factor matrix should contain at least one zero');
disp( '2. If there are m common factors, each column of the factor matrix should have at least m zeros');
disp( '3. For every pair of columns in the factor matrix, there should be several variables for which entries approach zero in the one column but not in the other');
disp( '4. For every pair of columns in the factor matrix, a large proportion of the variables should have entries approaching zero in both columns when there are four or more factors');
disp( '5. For every pair of columns in the factor matrix, there should be only a small number of variables with nonzero entries in both columns');
disp(' ');
disp( '(additional by Pedhazur and Schmelkin) The ideal simple structure is such that:');
disp( '6. Each item has a high, or meaningful, loading on one factor only and');
disp( '7. Each factor have high, or meaningful, loadings for only some of the items.');
disp('')
disp('Start checking...')
%test matrix
%ct=[76,78,16,7;19,29,10,13;2,6,7,8];
%test it by giving: simple_structure_criteria (ct)
ct=abs(my_pattern_table);
items=size(ct,1);
factors=size(ct,2);
my_zero = 0.1;
approach_zero = 0.2;
several = floor(items / 3);
small_number = ceil(items / 4);
large_proportion = 0.30;
meaningful = 0.4;
some_bottom = 2;
some_top = floor(items / 2);
% CRITERION 1
disp(' ');
disp('CRITERION 1');
for i = 1 : 1 : items
count = 0;
for j = 1 : 1 : factors
if (ct(i,j) < my_zero)
count = count + 1;
break
end
end
if (count == 0)
disp(['Criterion 1 is NOT MET for item ' num2str(i)])
end
end
% CRITERION 2
disp(' ');
disp('CRITERION 2');
for j = 1 : 1 : factors
m=0;
for i = 1 : 1 : items
if (ct(i,j) < my_zero)
m = m + 1;
end
end
if (m < factors)
disp(['Criterion 2 is NOT MET for factor ' num2str(j) '. m = ' num2str(m)]);
end
end
% CRITERION 3
disp(' ');
disp('CRITERION 3');
for c1 = 1 : 1 : factors - 1
for c2 = c1 + 1 : 1 : factors
test_several = 0;
for i = 1 : 1 : items
if ( (ct(i,c1)>my_zero && ct(i,c2)<my_zero) || (ct(i,c1)<my_zero && ct(i,c2)>my_zero) ) % approach zero in one but not in the other
test_several = test_several + 1;
end
end
disp(['several = ' num2str(test_several) ' for factors ' num2str(c1) ' and ' num2str(c2)]);
if (test_several < several)
disp(['Criterion 3 is NOT MET for factors ' num2str(c1) ' and ' num2str(c2)]);
end
end
end
% CRITERION 4
disp(' ');
disp('CRITERION 4');
if (factors > 3)
for c1 = 1 : 1 : factors - 1
for c2 = c1 + 1 : 1 : factors
test_several = 0;
for i = 1 : 1 : items
if (ct(i,c1)<approach_zero && ct(i,c2)<approach_zero) % approach zero in both
test_several = test_several + 1;
end
end
disp(['large proportion = ' num2str((test_several / items)*100) '% for factors ' num2str(c1) ' and ' num2str(c2)]);
if ((test_several / items) < large_proportion)
pr = sprintf('%4.2g', (test_several / items) * 100 );
disp(['Criterion 4 is NOT MET for factors ' num2str(c1) ' and ' num2str(c2) '. Proportion is ' pr '%']);
end
end
end
end
% CRITERION 5
disp(' ');
disp('CRITERION 5');
for c1 = 1 : 1 : factors - 1
for c2 = c1 + 1 : 1 : factors
test_number = 0;
for i = 1 : 1 : items
if (ct(i,c1)>approach_zero && ct(i,c2)>approach_zero) % approach zero in both
test_number = test_number + 1;
end
end
disp(['small number = ' num2str(test_number) ' for factors ' num2str(c1) ' and ' num2str(c2)]);
if (test_number > small_number)
disp(['Criterion 5 is NOT MET for factors ' num2str(c1) ' and ' num2str(c2)]);
end
end
end
% CRITERION 6
disp(' ');
disp('CRITERION 6');
for i = 1 : 1 : items
count = 0;
for j = 1 : 1 : factors
if (ct(i,j) > meaningful)
count = count + 1;
end
end
if (count == 0 || count > 1)
disp(['Criterion 6 is NOT MET for item ' num2str(i)])
end
end
% CRITERION 7
disp(' ');
disp('CRITERION 7');
for j = 1 : 1 : factors
m=0;
for i = 1 : 1 : items
if (ct(i,j) > meaningful)
m = m + 1;
end
end
disp(['some items = ' num2str(m) ' for factor ' num2str(j)]);
if (m < some_bottom || m > some_top)
disp(['Criterion 7 is NOT MET for factor ' num2str(j)]);
end
end
disp('')
disp('Checking completed.')
return