ABSTRACT
Hierarchical multiple factor analysis (HMFA) is the most direct extension of multiple factor analysis (MFA): it is used with tables in which the variables are structured according to a hierarchy. In MFA, taking into account partitioning of the variables first means balancing the role of the groups in an overall analysis. The HMFA proceeds in exactly this way as it is the same as conducting a factorial analysis for each of the nodes in the hierarchy, from the bottom of the tree upwards. In HMFA, for each individual, it is possible to represent as many partial points as there are nodes in the hierarchy. In HMFA, a group of variables corresponds to a node of the tree structuring the variables. As in MFA where it is possible to include a single variable in several groups, in HMFA it is possible to include a group from a given hierarchical level in several groups of the next level.
