An empirical study of the factor analysis stability hypothesis

Note is taken of four related sources of confusion as to the usefulness of Thurstone's factor analysis model and of their resolutions. One resolution uses Tucker's distinction between exploratory and confirmatory analyses. Eight analyses of two sets of data demonstrate the procedures and results of a confirmatory study with statistical tests of some, but not all, relevant hypotheses in an investigation of the stability (invariance) hypothesis. The empirical results provide estimates, as substitutes for unavailable sampling formulations, of effects of variation in diagonal values, in method of factoring, and in samples of cases. Implications of these results are discussed.The computational costs of this study were defrayed, in part, by a research small grant M-1922 from the National Institute of Health, and, in part, by support under project 176-0002 by the University of Iowa Computing Center, Dr. J. P. Dolch, Director. The assistance of Dr. Kern Dickman and Mr. Leonard Wevrick of the University of Illinois and of Mr. Norman Luther of the University of Iowa in handling the computing problems is gratefully acknowledged.