从心理研究方法学体系看因子取舍问题

The Principles and Steps of Factor Retaining or Deletion from Psychological Perspective

在因子分析及其元分析中,研究者都会遇到因子取舍问题:应该保留几个因子?自圆其说论者认为因子分析及其元分析是两种数据简化的程序,简化到什么程度都行,只要能够自圆其说即可。然而,自圆其说论并没有学理依据。从心理科学研究的三级方法学体系来看,因子取舍是一个动态过程,遵守内容原则、相关原则和方法论原则是进行正确因子取舍的必要条件。因子取舍研究可以分为提出问题、检查心理内容、估计相关、检查方法论原则和做出结论五个步骤。

When doing factor analysis or meta-analysis,the researchers always encounter the deletion problem,such as how many factors should be retained？From the three-level theory of psychological methodology,it is necessary to obey three principles——the content principle,the correlation principle,and the methodology principle to draw a correct conclusion dealing with the deletion problem.The factor deletion or retaining is completed in a dynamic process.Taking the deletion of emotion perception and emotion accelerating thinking as an example,the present paper discussed the five steps of conducting a factor deletion or retaining study.