Re: Help me:Statistic-Multivareate Analysis
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg5918] Re: [mg5895] Help me:Statistic-Multivareate Analysis
- From: Steve.Hunka at ualberta.ca (Steve Hunka)
- Date: Tue, 4 Feb 1997 00:03:41 -0500
- Organization: University of Alberta
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
In article <5d2i9g$cm0 at smc.vnet.net>, cefortel at telepac.pt (Manuel Rodrigues) wrote: > Who tell me ?? > > I see in a statistical text the following words: > > "VARIMAX rotation". > > Who can help me about that. > > A student of a professional school asked me that. > > Thank you for your help. > > Manuel Rodrigues. > > Cefortel at mail.telepac.pt > > Manuel Rodrigues asked what is Varimax rotation. Varimax rotation is an orthogonal rotation developed by Henry Kaiser and is used primarily in the context of the technique called Factor Analysis. A commonly used method in factor analysis resolves a correlation matrix into components (factors) which are eigenvectors rescaled by the sq-root of their eigenvalues. The result gives projections of each variable onto an orthogonal axes, and Varimax is a procedure for iteratively maximizing the variance of these projections. The result gives a new set of projections which show a clustering of the variables on a single axis (factor) thus making it more interpretable (Thurstone's Simple Structure notion). The original reference is a PhD thesis, but the following references may help: Kaiser, H.F., The Varimax criterion for analytic rotation in Factor Analysis, Psychometrika, XXIII (1958), p187-200, and Kaiser, H.F., Computer program for Varimax rotation in Factor Analysis, Educ. & Psych. Meas., XIX, 3, 1959. A good text, but out of print, by Stanley Mulaik (Introduction to Modern Factor Analysis) is also a good source. Steve Hunka, U Alberta, steve.hunka at ualberta.ca