Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) Merging items into Factors (SPSS)
Hi all,
I ran an EFA on Psychological Safety items, which yielded four factors. Inclusivity, Safety to Learn, Safety to Contribute and Safety to Challenge.
After the reduction of cross-loaded items, I was left with 3 factors, and I now notice that items that were in the Safety to Contribute Column have jumped over to and merged in Factor 1 with other items. So much so that I cant call the factor names the same anymore.
Is this normal? And what do I call the new Factor now that the other items has merged with it?
When I ask COpile it to define what is going on, it says...
⭐ Why three factors collapsing into one is not a problem
EFA does not test whether your theorised factors exist.
EFA tests what the data actually does.
If items from three conceptual subscales (Inclusivity, Learning Support, Contribution) all load strongly onto a single factor, that means:
✔ The participants experience these things as one unified construct, not three
In other words, students don’t psychologically distinguish:
feeling included
feeling supported in learning
feeling encouraged to contribute
They experience them as one broad climate experience.
This is extremely common in climate, belonging, and safety scales.
⭐ Why this is not contrary to the point of factor analysis
The point of EFA is:
>
So if three factors merge into one, that means:
your original theoretical model was too granular
the empirical structure is broader
the merged factor is the true latent construct in your sample
This is not a failure — it’s a valid empirical outcome.