APA Dictionary of Psychology

specific factor (s factor)

Updated on 04/19/2018

(symbol: s) a specialized ability that is postulated to come into play in particular kinds of cognitive tasks. Specific factors, such as mathematical ability, are contrasted with the general factor (g), which underlies every cognitive performance. Also called special factor. [proposed in 1904 by Charles Spearman]
in factor analysis, a latent variable that is significant only to a single manifest variable. In contrast, a common factor pertains to multiple manifest variables.

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