Tekijäkuormitukset

Tekijäkuormitukset is a Finnish term that translates to "factor loadings" in English, and it is a core concept in statistical analysis, particularly in factor analysis and related techniques like principal component analysis. Factor loadings represent the correlation between observed variables and underlying latent factors. In essence, they quantify how strongly each measured variable contributes to or is associated with a particular factor.

A factor loading is typically expressed as a number between -1 and 1. A loading close to 1 indicates a strong positive relationship between the variable and the factor, meaning that as the factor's score increases, the variable's score tends to increase. A loading close to -1 suggests a strong negative relationship, where an increase in the factor's score is associated with a decrease in the variable's score. Loadings close to 0 indicate a weak or negligible relationship.

When interpreting factor analysis results, researchers examine the factor loadings to understand the meaning of the extracted factors. Variables that have high loadings on the same factor are considered to be measuring or representing that common underlying factor. This helps in identifying and naming the latent constructs that explain the variance in the observed data. For example, in a personality questionnaire, several survey items might have high loadings on a factor labeled "extraversion," indicating that these items collectively measure this personality trait. The strength of these loadings helps determine which items are most representative of the factor.