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Identifying dimensions of perceived patient change: Some problems in the use of factor analysis
Author(s) -
Kennard David
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
british journal of medical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.102
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 2044-8341
pISSN - 0007-1129
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8341.1978.tb02444.x
Subject(s) - psychology , dimension (graph theory) , factor (programming language) , outcome (game theory) , therapeutic community , social psychology , cognitive psychology , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , psychotherapist , computer science , mathematical economics , mathematics , programming language , pure mathematics
A study of change in a ‘therapeutic community’ admission unit is used to illustrate some of the problems associated with the use of factor analysis in evaluating therapeutic outcome. The paper describes the methodological steps involved in an attempt to identify the underlying dimensions of change which reflect how patients see themselves, and are seen by those most closely involved with them. The resulting dimensions, labelled ‘pleasantness’ and ‘illness’, are used to illustrate change at three levels: average direction, scatter, and individual cases.