Överförenklad

Överförenklad is a Swedish adjective meaning "overly simplified" or "too simplistic." It is used to describe explanations, analyses, or representations of phenomena that reduce complexity, omit important factors, or present causal relationships as linear or singular. The prefix över- signals excess, and förenklad is the past participle of förenkla, to simplify, so överförenklad literally means simplified more than is warranted.

The term is common in media, academia, and public debate when a summary or visualization neglects nuance, uncertainty, or context. For example, a news portrayal of a multifaceted policy as a single-cause explanation, or a scientific communication that presents a model as fully capturing reality, may be labeled överförenklad.

Överförenklad carries a stronger critique than förenklad. It implies a fault in the presentation that risks misleading the audience by ignoring relevant factors, interactions, or variability. Related concepts include reductionism, or overgeneralization in argumentation, where complex systems are reduced to a single variable or mechanism.

While sometimes convenient for clarity, överförenklad explanations can hinder informed decision-making and public understanding. Best practices to avoid it include acknowledging uncertainty, outlining key caveats, showing multiple factors and perspectives, and avoiding reductive causal claims.