Improper Solutions in Exploratory Factor Analysis: Causes and Treatments

Abstract

There are many causes of occurrence of improper solutions in factor analysis. Identifying potential causes of the improper solutions gives very useful information on suitability of the model considered for a data set. This paper studies possible causes of improper solutions in exploratory factor analysis, focusing upon (A) sampling fluctuations, (B) model underidentifiable and (C) model unfitted, each having several more detailed items. We then give a checklist to identify the cause of the improper solution obtained and suggest a method of reanalysis of the data set for each cause.