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Psychopathology and Boolean Factor Analysis: a mismatch

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Hans O. F. Veiel
Hans O. F. Veiel*
Affiliation:
Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Mannheim, West Germany
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr H. O. F. Veiel, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit 6800 Mannheim 1, J5, Postfach 5970, West Germany.
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Synopsis

It has recently been claimed that Boolean Factor Analysis (BFA) is superior to more traditional approaches to empirical syndrome identification in psychopathology (Weber & Scharfetter, 1984). This paper examines the underlying assumptions and the empirical basis of this claim. A hypothetical data set, with a more complex structure than the examples used by Weber & Scharfetter to support their claim, is analysed by means of both BFA and Ordinary Factor Analysis (OFA). It is shown that, as data sets resemble empirical conditions more closely, BFA may break down completely while OFA continues to yield adequate results.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , August 1985 , pp. 623 - 628
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

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References

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