APA Dictionary of Psychology

changing the signs of a set of factor loadings from positive to negative, or vice versa. For example, researchers studying a newly revised scale to measure a positive emotion such as happiness might use factor reflection to change a negative sign on the factor loadings for positive items as well as to change a positive sign for sadness items. The resulting pattern of loadings thus shows positively focused items as having a positive sign and sadness-focused items as having a negative sign, such that the entire scale could accurately be said to measure the positive state of happiness.