Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis

This chapter consists of data-driven examples of how factor analysis as a statistical tool can be applied in music education research. The chapter presents examples of how factor analysis methods can be used to identify latent variables, which in turn can be used to represent a broad set of measured variables. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis techniques are compared and illustrated with data-driven examples. The examples highlight some of the major considerations and basic steps for performing factor analyses so that the reader can begin to imagine how to apply this technique to their own research questions.