[R] SPSS-like factor analysis procedure

[Ashish Ranpura]

I've read through many postings about principle component analysis in  
the R-help archives, but haven't been able to piece together the  
information I need. I'd like to recreate an SPSS-like experience of  
factor analysis using R. Here's what SPSS produces:

1. Scatterplots of all possible variable pairs, with regression lines.
xyplot(my.dataframe) is perfect but for the lack of regression lines.

2. Frequency histograms overlaid with normal curves for each variable.
I can do this one at a time; I'd love R to do it in a big layout for  
all the variables in the data frame.

3. Descriptive statistics of each variable.
Jim Lemon's excellent dstats() function does this. Solved.

4. A large correlation matrix for the data frame.
The built-in function cov() does this. Solved.

5. KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy) and Bartlett  
test of sphericity on the data frame as a whole.
I can't find ways to recreate these tests -- bartlett.test() doesn't  
produce the type of response that makes sense.

6. Anti-image matricies, including MSA (sampling adequacy) scores for  
each variable
I can't find a way to generate this, maybe because I'm unsure how its  
calculated. The MSA scores would tell me how strongly each variable  
measures the data set as a whole, which I could use to guide  
subsequent factor analysis.

7. Total Variance Explained -- a table listing eigenvalues for each  
eigenvector, along with the % variance for each eigenvector.
This is the best part of the SPSS output. I feel like I'm close to  
finding the right function in R , but I don't know how to look at the  
eigenvalues of each component in R. princomp() seems a step in the  
right direction.

8. Scree plot.
No problem, princomp() and screeplot() seem to produce about the  
right result.

9. Component matrix (lists the variable loading on each factor)
factanal() seems to do this, but again the results don't jive with  
SPSS and I'm unsure why.

10. Factor rotation
No problem, factanal(rotation="varimax") does this.


If anyone can suggest how to fill in the missing pieces (particularly  
steps 6 and 7), please do let me know. Thanks!

--Ashish.


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Ashish Ranpura
Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
University College London