Prepared by: Muhammad Munzir Bin Razak

The Anscombe Quartet

M. Linden conducted a factor-analytic study of Olympic decathlon scores in eight championships

since World War II. Altogether, 160 complete starts were made by 139 athletes. The scores of each
of the 10 decathlon events were standardized to obtain a sample correlation matrix that was factor
analysed by the methods of principal component analysis and maximum likelihood. Linden
reported that “the distributions of standard scores were normal or approximately normal for each
of the ten decathlon events”. The obtained correlation matrix, with rows corresponding to each of
the events listed in Table 1, is:

Decathlon scores in correlation matrix.

Prepared by: Muhammad Munzir Bin Razak

1. Use Obtain the factor loadings of a m = 3 and a m = 4 factor solution with the principal
component analysis method and oblimin rotation. Discuss the adequacy of the number of
factors extracted considering the eigenvalues of the correlation matrix.

Answer:

Eigen-values of the correlation matrix.

Factor loading, m = 3 (using principal component analysis and oblimin rotation in R).

The first three eigenvalues account for 64.65% of the total variance, so a 3-factor solution can be
adequate. So that the test of the hypothesis that 3 components are sufficient in R.
Prepared by: Muhammad Munzir Bin Razak

Factor loading, m = 4 (using principal component analysis and oblimin rotation in R).

The first four eigenvalues account for 73.74% of the total variance, so a 4-factor solution can be
adequate. So that the test of the hypothesis that 4 components are sufficient in R.
 2. Obtain the factor loadings of a m = 3 and a m = 4 factor solution with the maximum
likelihood method and oblimin rotation. Is this method suitable in this case considering the
probability distribution of the data?

Answer:

Factor loading, m = 3 (using maximum likelihood method and oblimin rotation in R).
 Factor loading, m = 4 (using maximum likelihood method and oblimin rotation in R).

This method is suitable in the case of factor loading m = 3 considering the probability distribution
of the data in R. But for in the case of factor loading m = 4 is not suitable considering the
probability distribution of the data and by error happen when conduct in R. It because measure of
factor score adequacy for factor loading m = 3 already in values 0.97. Because of that the error
happen when factor loading m = 4 was conduct by using maximum likelihood with oblimin
rotation.
 3. Make an interpretation of the m = 4 model considering the factor loadings obtained
(consider that a variable loads significantly on a factor when its factor loading is greater
than 0.4) and the variables that load in each factor.

Answer:

Factor loading, m = 4 (using maximum likelihood method and without oblimin rotation in R).

This interpretation that is suitable for the case of factor loading m = 4 considering the probability
distribution of the data in R and without oblimin rotation. It because measure of factor score
adequacy for factor loading m = 4 is values 1 and test hypothesis that 4 factors are sufficient in R.