Sammanvägda

Sammanvägda is a Swedish adjective meaning weighted or combined using weights. It describes values, scores, or indicators that have been adjusted by assigning relative importance to different components. The term derives from sammanväga, meaning to weigh together (samman- meaning together and väga meaning to weigh). In practice, sammanvägda values result from calculating a weighted average or weighted sum, typically by multiplying each component x_i by a weight w_i and then dividing the sum by the total weight: sum(w_i x_i) / sum(w_i). Weights reflect relative importance, frequency, precision, or representation in the data.

In statistics, education, economics, and survey research, sammanvägda measures are common. Examples include a student’s overall grade computed from course scores with each course’s credit weight, or an index composed of several indicators with different salience. They are contrasted with unweighted averages, which treat all components as equally important.

Choosing appropriate weights is crucial; weights may be based on sample design, reliability, or external criteria, and improper weights can bias results. Weights can be normalized to sum to one or kept in their original scale, depending on the computation.

Due to its descriptive character, sammanvägda is often used in technical reports, statistics, and policy analysis in Swedish-language texts. Similar terms include viktat (weighted) and viktat medelvärde (weighted mean).