What is a common outcome of quartimax rotation?

What is a common outcome of quartimax rotation?

• A. It yields orthogonal rotation.
• B. It often results in many variables loading highly on a single factor.
• C. Factor loadings become evenly distributed across factors.
• D. It reduces the number of factors.

Answer: (B)

Quartimax rotation is a method used after extracting factors to simplify the pattern of loadings by focusing on the variables across factors. Because it emphasizes the row structure of the loading matrix, it tends to push many variables to load highly on a single factor, often producing a strong general factor that captures common variance across items. This happens even though the rotation is still orthogonal and keeps the factors uncorrelated. It does not make loadings spread evenly across factors, nor does it change the number of factors extracted. That’s why the common outcome described is that many variables load highly on one factor.

Quartimax rotation is a method used after extracting factors to simplify the pattern of loadings by focusing on the variables across factors. Because it emphasizes the row structure of the loading matrix, it tends to push many variables to load highly on a single factor, often producing a strong general factor that captures common variance across items. This happens even though the rotation is still orthogonal and keeps the factors uncorrelated. It does not make loadings spread evenly across factors, nor does it change the number of factors extracted. That’s why the common outcome described is that many variables load highly on one factor.