AI Glossary
The complete dictionary of Artificial Intelligence
Specific Variance
Part of the variance of an observed variable that is not explained by common factors, including measurement error and variance unique to that variable.
Orthogonal Rotation
Method of factor rotation, such as Varimax, that maintains factors as independent (uncorrelated) to simplify the interpretation of the factor structure.
Oblique Rotation
Rotation technique, such as Promax or Oblimin, allowing correlation between factors to better represent the reality of psychological or social data.
KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) Index
Measure of sampling adequacy that compares the magnitudes of observed correlation coefficients to the magnitudes of partial correlation coefficients.
Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)
Factor analysis approach used when the underlying structure of the data is unknown, aiming to discover latent factors without prior assumptions.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)
Statistical procedure aimed at testing whether a predefined factor structure, based on theory or prior research, fits the observed data.
Maximum Likelihood Extraction
Factor extraction method that estimates model parameters by maximizing the likelihood of observing the sample data, under the assumption of multivariate normality.
Unweighted Least Squares Extraction
Factor extraction method that minimizes the sum of squared differences between observed correlations and correlations reproduced by the model.