驗證性因素分析（ CFA ）乃為建立測量工具的建構效度的常用方法之一。然而，於國內的護理研究卻很少使用這個統計方法，國內研究者們在建立工具的建構效度上多半使用探索性因素分析（ EFA ）（ 96.7% ）。而實際上，就統計學的角度而言，EFA 的目的乃是在一組變項中找出他們之間的共同因素；因此，EFA 較適用於一個測量工具剛建立時的結構探討及初步理論的形成。而 CFA，其名如其法，乃適用於測試一個預先假設好的因素架構，亦為驗證理論的方法。本文的主要目的乃是對驗證性因素分析做一簡介並討論驗證性因素分析應用時應考慮的三個原則：模式的規劃、測試假設的邏輯性及測量模式的統計假定。最後，並以 LISREL 8 統計軟體說明執行 CFA 的基本步驟。

　　　　　Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is one of the statistical methodsavailable to establish the construct validity of a measurement tool. However, itis seldom used in the field of nursing research in Taiwan. Most researchers(96.7%) conduct exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to establish constructvalidity instead of CFA. In fact, from the statistical viewpoint, EFA isconcerned with the question of how many factors are necessary to explain therelations among a set of indicators. Thus, the purpose of EFA is to explore thefactor structure of an instrument and it is approporiate as an initial processof theory generation. The purpose of CFA, as the name implies, is to testhypotheses regarding the number of factors underlying the relations among a setof indicators; it is a theory-testing method. The purpose of this paper is tointroduce CFA and also to discuss three major principles for conducting CFA:model specification, the logic of hypothesis testing, and the statisticalassumptions of CFA. Lastly, it illustrates the basic steps of using the LISREL 8computer program to perform CFA.