The scientific nature of factors: A demonstration by cups of coffee

Abstract

Complete understanding of a mathematical model cannot be gained from logical analysis alone; the types of concepts which these models represent must be understood as well. The authors of this paper suggest that the nature of a model and its full implications may be made clear by applying it to a common concrete example whose properties are already fully understood. In the experiment described here, the factor analytic model is applied to that very common thing, a cup of coffee.