nFactors (version 2.3.1)

parallel: Parallel Analysis of a Correlation or Covariance Matrix

Description

This function gives the distribution of the eigenvalues of correlation or a covariance matrices of random uncorrelated standardized normal variables. The mean and a selected quantile of this distribution are returned.

Usage

parallel(subject  = 100,
          var      = 10,
          rep      = 100,
          cent     = 0.05,
          quantile = cent,
          model    = "components",
          sd       = diag(1,var),
          ...)

Value

eigenData frame consisting of mean and the quantile of the eigenvalues distributioneigen$mevpeaMean of the eigenvalues distributioneigen$sevpeaStandard deviation of the eigenvalues distributioneigen$qevpeaquantile of the eigenvalues distributioneigen$sqevpeaStandard error of the quantile of the eigenvalues distributionsubjectNumber of subjectsvariablesNumber of variablescentileSelected quantileOtherwise, returns a summary of the parallel analysis.

Details

Note that if the decision is based on a quantile value rather than on the mean, care must be taken with the number of replications (rep). In fact, the smaller the quantile (cent), the bigger the number of necessary replications.

References

Drasgow, F. and Lissak, R. (1983) Modified parallel analysis: a procedure for examining the latent dimensionality of dichotomously scored item responses. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68(3), 363-373. Hoyle, R. H. and Duvall, J. L. (2004). Determining the number of factors in exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. In D. Kaplan (Ed.): The Sage handbook of quantitative methodology for the social sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Horn, J. L. (1965). A rationale and test of the number of factors in factor analysis. Psychometrika, 30, 179-185.

See Also

plotuScree, nScree, plotnScree, plotParallel

Examples

## SIMPLE EXAMPLE OF A PARALLEL ANALYSIS
## OF A CORRELATION MATRIX WITH ITS PLOT
 data(dFactors)
 eig      <- dFactors$Raiche$eigenvalues
 subject  <- dFactors$Raiche$nsubjects
 var      <- length(eig)
 rep      <- 100
 quantile <- 0.95
 results  <- parallel(subject, var, rep, quantile)

 results

## IF THE DECISION IS BASED ON THE CENTILE USE qevpea INSTEAD
## OF mevpea ON THE FIRST LINE OF THE FOLLOWING CALL
 plotuScree(x    = eig,
            main = "Parallel Analysis"
            )
            
 lines(1:var,
       results$eigen$qevpea,
       type="b",
       col="green"
       )


## ANOTHER SOLUTION IS SIMPLY TO
 plotParallel(results)