If iI use EFA on SPSS to explore the factors and later I intend to check the reliability and validity of these explored factors using SmartPLS rather than CFA on AMOS, will it be valid approach?
Using EFA in SPSS to explore factors and later assessing the reliability and validity of these factors using SmartPLS can be a valid approach, especially for exploratory research or when you have no a priori theoretical model to test. However, it's crucial to align your choice of analysis tools with your research goals and have a clear understanding of the strengths and limitations of each method. Your choice should align with your research goals. If you are primarily interested in exploratory research and want to uncover underlying factors without preconceived notions, then EFA followed by SmartPLS can be an appropriate approach. If, however, you have well-established theoretical constructs with specific factor structures that you want to test, CFA in AMOS might be more suitable.
Pls do not use SPSS for EFA. It is an old implementation! There is other better tools like R and Factor.
Alamir Louro, I am interested in your post immediately above here. Could you explain why you think that R and Factor are better than SPSS for EFA, please? Thanks in advance.
Dear Robert, I am not a statistician; I speak from the perspective of a more up-to-date scientific toolkit.
SPSS has poor methods for factor retention (Eigenvalue > 1).
Excellent retention methods include Parallel Analysis and Hull's Method
Speaking a bit more about Hull's Method: It has shown great potential as a factor retention method.
- Determines the number of factors to be evaluated (Parallel Analysis).
- Evaluates the fit indices of all factorial solutions, as well as the degrees of freedom for each model.
- Fit indices can be obtained through various measures (CFI and CAF).
- A mathematical formula weighs the relationship between the fit index and the degrees of freedom of a model, compared to a previous model, indicating the most suitable model (Ceuleman & Kiers, 2006; Ceulemans, Timmerman & Kiers, 2010; Lorenzo-Seva et al., 2011)."
If somebody needs I can help to do EFA on other tools. [email protected]
Alamir Louro, thank you for responding to my request - and for having done so with so much detail. You are certainly right about SPSS being limited by providing the default of eigenvalues > 1 criterion for suggesting - and producing - the number of factors in a data set. At least, researchers can over-ride that and specify the number of factors they want to be extracted, perhaps on the basis of parallel analysis, scree plot, etc. However, it would be nice if a package produced parallel analysis as a matter of course.
It was generous of you to provide your email address. I might get in touch with you some day to have a bit of "joint experience" with factor analysis.
Thanks again.
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