Modular Open-Source Software for Item Factor Analysis

2014/10/31 by Joshua N. Pritikin, Micheal D. Hunter, Michael D. Hunter +1 · 72 citations
Computer Science · Decision Sciences · Mathematics · Psychology · #Advanced Statistical Modeling Techniques #Computer science #Exploratory factor analysis #Factor (programming language) #Mathematics #Modular design #Open source #Open source software #Programming language #Psychology #Psychometric Methodologies and Testing #Psychometrics #Software #Statistics

paper · open access · doi:10.1177/0013164414554615

published in Educational and Psychological Measurement 75(3), 458-474 (SAGE Publishing)

openalex publication_date 2014/10/31 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

This paper introduces an Item Factor Analysis (IFA) module for OpenMx, a free, open-source, and modular statistical modeling package that runs within the R programming environment on GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows. The IFA module offers a novel model specification language that is well suited to programmatic generation and manipulation of models. Modular organization of the source code facilitates the easy addition of item models, item parameter estimation algorithms, optimizers, test scoring algorithms, and fit diagnostics all within an integrated framework. Three short example scripts are presented for fitting item parameters, latent distribution parameters, and a multiple group model. The availability of both IFA and structural equation modeling in the same software is a step toward the unification of these two methodologies.

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