Sometimes,because of prior knowledge,the researcher knows how many factors to expect and thus can specify the number of factors to be extracted beforehand.This is referred to as ________.
A) determination based on split-half reliability
B) determination based on scree plot
C) determination based on significance tests
D) a priori determination

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A priori determination refers to specifying the number of factors to be extracted before conducting the factor analysis. This is based on prior knowledge or theory about the number of underlying factors expected to explain the observed correlations among the variables. The other options (A, B, and C) are methods for determining the number of factors based on statistical criteria or properties of the data, but they do not involve prior knowledge or theory.

Sometimes,because of Prior Knowledge,the Researcher Knows How Many Factors to Expect