factor.fit.RdThe basic factor or principal components model is that a correlation or covariance matrix may be reproduced by the product of a factor loading matrix times its transpose: F'F or P'P. One simple index of fit is the 1 - sum squared residuals/sum squared original correlations. This fit index is used by VSS, ICLUST, etc.
factor.fit(r, f)There are probably as many fit indices as there are psychometricians. This fit is a plausible estimate of the amount of reduction in a correlation matrix given a factor model. Note that it is sensitive to the size of the original correlations. That is, if the residuals are small but the original correlations are small, that is a bad fit.
Let $$R* = R - FF'$$ $$fit = 1 - \frac{ \sum(R*^2)}{\sum(R^2)}$$.
The sums are taken for the off diagonal elements.
fit
if (FALSE) { # \dontrun{
#compare the fit of 4 to 3 factors for the Harman 24 variables
fa4 <- factanal(x,4,covmat=Harman74.cor$cov)
round(factor.fit(Harman74.cor$cov,fa4$loading),2)
#[1] 0.9
fa3 <- factanal(x,3,covmat=Harman74.cor$cov)
round(factor.fit(Harman74.cor$cov,fa3$loading),2)
#[1] 0.88
} # }