Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) is conducted after the researcher has gained substantial knowledge about the latent variables (s)he wishes to study. Thus, the researcher has already explored the underlying latent variables and know exactly the number of items/indicators that loads strongly on each of them via Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA).
Unlike EFA, CFA aim at testing how well the data fits the proposed researched model. In other words, the researcher imposes the data on the research model and then determine the goodness-of-fit of this data to the model through the ‘eye’ of some measurement fit indices.