MARKER VARIABLE FACTOR ANALYSIS: A REGIONAL PRINCIPAL AXES SOLUTION.

Marker variable factor analysis is a method for obtaining an oblique simple structure in which primary axes are principal axes of homogeneous sub- sets of test variables. The method can be used as a confirmatory analysis t o evaluate the adequacy of an hypothesized factor structure, or it can be employed t o yield a superior factor structure associated with objectively chosen marker variables. The method is described and examples of its application in R and Q-type analyses are presented.