Which statement about orthogonal rotation is true?

Which statement about orthogonal rotation is true?

• A. It makes factors correlated
• B. It redistributes variance equally across all factors
• C. It eliminates all cross-loadings
• D. It keeps the underlying factors independent (uncorrelated)

Answer: (D)

Orthogonal rotation aims to simplify the pattern of factor loadings while keeping the factors uncorrelated. Because the rotation is constrained to be orthogonal, the axes remain at right angles to each other, so the latent factors stay independent (uncorrelated) after rotation. That’s why this statement is true: orthogonal rotation preserves the independence of the underlying factors. It doesn’t make factors correlated, which is what would happen with oblique rotations. It also isn’t designed to redistribute variance equally across factors; the goal is to achieve a simple, interpretable loading structure rather than equalizing factor variances. And it doesn’t guarantee that all cross-loadings disappear—rotation can reduce them and create a cleaner pattern, but elimination isn’t guaranteed.

Orthogonal rotation aims to simplify the pattern of factor loadings while keeping the factors uncorrelated. Because the rotation is constrained to be orthogonal, the axes remain at right angles to each other, so the latent factors stay independent (uncorrelated) after rotation. That’s why this statement is true: orthogonal rotation preserves the independence of the underlying factors.

It doesn’t make factors correlated, which is what would happen with oblique rotations. It also isn’t designed to redistribute variance equally across factors; the goal is to achieve a simple, interpretable loading structure rather than equalizing factor variances. And it doesn’t guarantee that all cross-loadings disappear—rotation can reduce them and create a cleaner pattern, but elimination isn’t guaranteed.