Many software programs can be used to train psychology graduate students and researchers to perform various types of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. However, the mechanics of the model fitting process are generally opaque to the student or researcher when using these programs. We propose that spreadsheets can be a very effective tool for enabling psychology students to obtain a better understanding of what is "under the hood" of the factor analysis methods they are implementing with popular software packages such as SPSS, AMOS, R, or MPlus. In this paper we present an Excel workbook that illustrates exploratory factor analysis via the principal axis factoring method and maximum likelihood estimation. Varimax and oblimin rotation of factor loadings is also demonstrated. We also illustrate several different confirmatory factor analysis models: (i) the unidimensional model, (ii) the multiple uncorrelated factors model, (iii) the multiple correlated factors model, and (iv) the bifactor model. Although we are not advocating Excel spreadsheets as the method of choice for factor analysis, we believe they are excellent tools for teaching the mechanics of factor analysis to psychology graduate students and researchers.

Michael Brusco

Douglas Steinley

Ashley L. Watts

Structural Equation Modeling A Multidisciplinary Journal

结构方程建模：多学科期刊出版所有对结构方程建模感兴趣的学科的学术著作。这些学科包括但不限于心理学、医学、社会学、教育学、政治学、经济学、管理学和商业/市场营销。理论文章涉及新的发展；应用文章涉及创新的结构方程建模应用；教师角提供有关结构方程建模方面的教学模块；书籍和软件评论检查新的建模信息和技术；和广告提醒读者注意新产品。鼓励对期刊发表的文章或评论中涉及的技术或实质性问题发表评论；评论被审查，并邀请原创作品的作者做出回应。

Structural Equation Modeling is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to academic research in the field of structural equation modeling. The journal welcomes contributions from various disciplines, including but not limited to psychology, medicine, sociology, education, political science, economics, management, and business/marketing. The content includes theoretical articles discussing new developments in the field; applied articles showcasing innovative applications of structural equation modeling; teaching modules in the 'Teacher's Corner' related to structural equation modeling; book and software reviews evaluating new modeling information and techniques; and advertisements alerting readers to new products. We encourage feedback on the technical or substantive issues raised in the articles or comments published in the journal; all feedback will be reviewed, and authors of original works will be invited to respond.

《Structural Equation Modeling》是一本多学科期刊，专注于结构方程建模领域的学术研究。该期刊欢迎来自心理学、医学、社会学、教育学、政治学、经济学、管理学以及商业/市场营销等多个学科的研究成果。期刊内容包括理论文章，探讨该领域的新发展；应用文章，展示结构方程建模的创新应用；教师角，提供关于结构方程建模的教学模块；书籍和软件评论，评估新的建模信息和技术；以及广告，提醒读者关注新产品。我们鼓励读者对期刊发表的文章或评论中涉及的技术或实质性问题进行反馈；所有评论将经过审查，并邀请原创作品的作者进行回应。

Category	Quartile
心理学	2
心理学, 数学跨学科应用	1
心理学, 社会科学数理方法	1

Teaching the Mechanics of Factor Analysis Using Excel Spreadsheets

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
SOCIAL SCIENCES, MATHEMATICAL METHODS	1