Factor scores as independent variables in multilevel models

[Amelie Nickel]

Dear Statalistusers,

i want to perform a multilevel analysis by using factor-scores as independent variables. I performed a principal-component factoranalysis and afterwords scored the factors by using the Bartlett method.
Bartlett-scores are standardized to a mean of zero and the variance is the squared multiple correlation.


Is there any problem to use them as independet variables in a multileve model?

And do i have to center a factor independent variable (using grand-/group mean centering)?


Thanks in advance and kind regards,

Amelie