Factor Analysis Adds New Dimension to Extension Surveys

Authors

• J Reynaldo A. Santos, Texas Agricultural Extension ServiceFollow
• Max D. Clegg, University of Nebraska- Lincoln

Volume

37

Issue

5

Abstract

Survey has been one of the most popularly used research and evaluation tools in extension work. Traditional approach to survey analysis involves the use of frequency counts, t-test, correlation, and measures of central tendency. One procedure often left out, if not totally ignored because of its reputed complexity, is factor analysis. Factor analysis is a variable-reduction statistical technique capable of probing underlying relationships in variables using Likert-type scales. The procedure essentially removes metric redundancies from a survey and extracts the common thread that binds a set of observed variables together. The analysis can be implemented using a powerful SAS(R) procedure, called PROC FACTOR. This paper discusses implementation of factor analysis in SAS and proposes its use as an additional statistical procedure for Likert-based extension surveys.

Recommended Citation

Santos, J. A., & Clegg, M. D. (1999). Factor Analysis Adds New Dimension to Extension Surveys. Journal of Extension, 37(5), Article 13. https://commons.joe.org/joe/vol37/iss5/13