Negative Factor Loadings

[s***@gmail.com]

Hi,

I am working on my first factor analysis and I have this question:

In my factor loading table I have two factors and some variables that
some of these variables have negative factor loadings...I don't know
how to interpret my result from these negative factor loadings ...
should I ignore those negative signs and count them as positive?

Thanks a lot.

[Ray Koopman]

Post by s***@gmail.com
Hi,
In my factor loading table I have two factors and some variables that
some of these variables have negative factor loadings...I don't know
how to interpret my result from these negative factor loadings ...
should I ignore those negative signs and count them as positive?
Thanks a lot.

A negative loading means that eople who score high on the factor will
tend to score low on the variable, and people who score low on the
factor will tend to score high on the variable.

[murphy]

Negative factor loadings are as important as positive factor loadings.
When you look at a factor loading, it's the absolute value that you're
interested in when deciding a cut-off. That is, an item that loads
-0.7 is as important as an item that loads +0.7. Many people will use
a cut off such as .4. With this cut-off, you ignore anything less than
the absolute value of 0.4. That is, 0.2, -0.3, 0.1, -0.2 would be
ignored.

The sign on the loading (-/+) refers to the way the item relates to the
factor. Basic text books generally cover this with clear examples.
For example, say you're doing factor analysis on personality and each
factor is a trait. On the factor 'introverted', an item like
'outgoing' would have a high negative loading such as -0.8 because this
item is in 'opposition' to the factor.

Does that clarify it a bit?

Post by s***@gmail.com
Hi,
In my factor loading table I have two factors and some variables that
some of these variables have negative factor loadings...I don't know
how to interpret my result from these negative factor loadings ...
should I ignore those negative signs and count them as positive?
Thanks a lot.

[d***@yahoo.com]

Post by murphy
Negative factor loadings are as important as positive factor loadings.
When you look at a factor loading, it's the absolute value that you're
interested in when deciding a cut-off. That is, an item that loads
-0.7 is as important as an item that loads +0.7. Many people will use
a cut off such as .4. With this cut-off, you ignore anything less than
the absolute value of 0.4. That is, 0.2, -0.3, 0.1, -0.2 would be
ignored.
The sign on the loading (-/+) refers to the way the item relates to the
factor. Basic text books generally cover this with clear examples.
For example, say you're doing factor analysis on personality and each
factor is a trait. On the factor 'introverted', an item like
'outgoing' would have a high negative loading such as -0.8 because this
item is in 'opposition' to the factor.
Does that clarify it a bit?

Post by s***@gmail.com
Hi,
In my factor loading table I have two factors and some variables that
some of these variables have negative factor loadings...I don't know
how to interpret my result from these negative factor loadings ...
should I ignore those negative signs and count them as positive?
Thanks a lot.

Thank you Murphy.

[a***@gmail.com]

Nice thanks very much

[m***@gmail.com]

murphy.. what book? for referensi. thanks.

[Rich Ulrich]

Post by m***@gmail.com
murphy.. what book? for referensi. thanks.

I liked Roderick McDonald's book on factor analysis.
But - as Murphy suggests - any textbook on factor analysis
most likely will do.

PLEASE -- If you insist on Replying to a message that is
more than a few weeks old, it is considered good form to quote
a few lines (at least) to show what you are responding to.

And when the post and thread is from 2006, like Negative Factor
Loading, Giganews (my ISP) happens to archive the messages
for that long; but not everyone will have ready access.
- In this instance, I also found the original thread by Googling
the Subject and SPSS, which was handy since your Reply
was posted as linked to the Original Poster, and not to the
Reply by Murphy.

[k***@gmail.com]

Post by s***@gmail.com
Hi,
In my factor loading table I have two factors and some variables that
some of these variables have negative factor loadings...I don't know
how to interpret my result from these negative factor loadings ...
should I ignore those negative signs and count them as positive?
Thanks a lot.

Hi how can give me interpretations of spss i have a projet