FactorFlow: A Visual Analytics Workspace with Large Language Model-Assisted Interpretation for Factor Analysis

Abstract

In exploratory factor analysis (EFA), one aims to describe latent variables by constructing a factor model based on the relationships among manifest variables. For a model to be useful, it is not enough that it is grounded on data; it must also be meaningful. Hence, in practice, one attempts to interpret different factor models to identify a meaningful, coherent, and theoretically defensible latent structure. Doing so, however, is not straightforward, as it is subjective and requires tracking extensive information. Thus, we introduce FactorFlow, a system designed to help researchers perform EFA more effectively. With an interactive dashboard that supports comprehensively visualizing up to two models simultaneously and large language model integration that enables the generation of automated model interpretations written in natural language, FactorFlow substantially aids the crucial step of model interpretation, all the while supporting the end-to-end workflow. Indeed, our usability survey evidences the effectiveness of FactorFlow.