Cattell's scree test

Cattell's scree test is a method used to determine the number of underlying factors or traits in a set of data, often in personality or psychological assessments. It involves plotting the eigenvalues (a measure of factor importance) from largest to smallest on a graph. The "scree" or "elbow" point, where the line starts to level off, indicates the ideal number of factors to retain. Essentially, it helps identify the point beyond which additional factors add little meaningful information, aiding in simplifying complex data while preserving its core structure.