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Measurement Models: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis
University of Ulster at Magee, Friday 22nd Feburary 2013
This
workshop will be presented by Philip Hyland, a researcher at the
University of Ulster, and a lecturer in psychology at the Communications
and Management Institute in Dublin, Ireland. His
research interests involve studying the nature of posttraumatic stress
responses from the theoretical perspective of Rational Emotive Behaviour
Therapy (REBT), as well as the development of social-cognitive models of
violent and non-violent criminal behaviour. In this work he has utilized
a variety of advanced statistical analytic procedures. Philip is also
the co-founder and associate editor of the Journal of Criminal
Psychology.
This workshop will introduce the interested participant to the
fundamental principles of factor analysis. Psychologists are frequently
interested in studying a variety of psychological phenomena that are not
directly measureable. Commonly studied concepts in psychology such as
depression, anxiety, IQ, and personality (to name but a few!) cannot be
directly observed, but rather their existence is inferred on the basis
of phenomena which can be directly observed. This leads to an inevitable
question: how can we possibly measure, with any kind of accuracy, that
which we cannot observe?
Factor analysis is the process by which
unobservable, or ‘latent’, constructs can be accurately and reliably
measured via observable, or ‘manifest’, constructs. Since psychologists
are usually interested in studying unobservable phenomena, factor
analysis is an invaluable statistical tool for any research
psychologist. Numerous factor analytic methods exist which can be
extremely beneficial at various stages of the research process. This
course will cover the major types including exploratory factor analysis,
confirmatory factor analysis, and confirmatory bifactor analysis.
This workshop is designed for anyone interested in developing a greater
understanding of
factor analysis, regardless of your current level of knowledge of the
subject. Researchers who are completely unfamiliar with the topic of
factor analysis will find the course particularly helpful as it assumes
no prior knowledge of the subject. The course material will be present
in a straightforward and easy-to-understand manner avoiding complicated
formulas and jargon. At all costs!
The Masterclass will be presented
through a combination of interactive lectures and many practical
examples in Mplus. Real life data from published work will be used
throughout the course in order for you to gain a more grounded
understanding on how to conceptualise, conduct, interpret, and most of
all, easily and practically understand every aspect of the factor
analytic process.
Course outline:
Factor Analysis: What is it all about?
An Introduction to Exploratory Factor Analysis
Practical Exercises in Exploratory Factor Analysis
An Introduction to Confirmatory Factor Analysis
Practical Exercises in Confirmatory Factor Analysis
An Introduction to Confirmatory Bifactor Analysis
The files for this workshop is
here.