What is Rotating in Exploratory Factor Analysis?

Authors

Jason W. Osborne

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/hb2g-m060

Abstract

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is one of the most commonly-reported quantitative methodology in the social sciences, yet much of the detail regarding what happens during an EFA remains unclear. The goal of this brief technical note is to explore what "rotation" is, what exactly is rotating, and why we use rotation when performing EFAs. Some commentary about the relative utility and desirability of different rotation methods concludes the narrative. Accessed 43,804 times on https://pareonline.net from January 07, 2015 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Osborne, Jason W. (2019) "What is Rotating in Exploratory Factor Analysis?," Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation: Vol. 20, Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/hb2g-m060
Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/pare/vol20/iss1/2