Exploratory factor analysis: Current use, methodological developments and recommendations for good practice

Abstract

Psychological research often relies on Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). As the outcome of the analysis highly depends on the chosen settings, there is a strong need for guidelines in this context. Therefore, we want to examine the recent methodological developments as well as the current practice in psychological research. We reviewed ten years of studies containing EFAs and contrasted them with new methodological options. We focused on four major issues: an adequate sample size, the extraction method, the rotation method and the factor retention criterion determining the number of factors. Finally, we present modified recommendations based on these reviewed empirical studies and practical considerations.