Assessing the Unidimensional Structure of a Scale: Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis or Rasch Measurement?
Panayiotis Panayides · 2015
This study compares three methods of assessing the dimensionality of a scale: Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Rasch Measurement by means of an example using real data.The responses of a sample of 475 high school students to a maths test anxiety inventory were used for the purposes of this study. The results demonstrated the superiority of the Rasch approach in both identifying the unidimensional structure of the scale as well as the two components of the construct. More studies in diverse settings are suggested in order to investigate whether the conclusions reached in this study can be generalised.