本文主要藉文獻的考徵，探討共同因素分析與主成份分析在學理上與實徵上的差異，並從七個主題進行討論：(1)因素與成份的正名；(2)共同因素分析的原理；(3)主成份分析的原理；(4) 共同因素分析與主成份分析的學理比較；(5)共同因素分析與主成份分析的實徵研究比較；(6) 因素或成份的萃取程序比較；(7)應用與解釋上的差異比較。文末並提供兩方法相同、相異與相似之條件的歸納表格。

The main purpose of this artic1e was to explore the differences between common factor ana1ysis (CFA) and principa1 component ana1ysis (PCA) through literature reviews. Seven topics were discussed: (1) Factor or Component? (2) Retiona1es of CFA; (3) Rationa1es of PCA; (4) Comparisons of rationa1es between CFA and PCA; (5) Comparisons of empiric evidence between CFA and PCA; (6) Comparisons of abstracting procedures between CFA and PCA; (7) Comparisons of applications and interpretations between CFA and PCA. At the end of this artic1e, a fina1 comparison table, inc1uding the sameness, the differences, and the conditions of similarity between CFA and PCA was exhibited.