Modifiable Areal Unit Problem
Encyclopedia
The modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) is a source of statistical bias that can radically affect the results of statistical hypothesis tests. It affects results when point-based measures of spatial phenomena (e.g., population density) are aggregated
into districts. The resulting summary values (e.g., totals, rates, proportions) are influenced by the choice of district boundaries. For example, census data may be aggregated into census enumeration districts, or postcode areas, or police precincts, or any other spatial partition (thus, the 'areal units' are 'modifiable').
The issue was discovered in 1934 and described in detail by Openshaw (1984), who lamented that "the areal units (zonal objects) used in many geographical studies are arbitrary, modifiable, and subject to the whims and fancies of whoever is doing, or did, the aggregating.".
Specific applications
Aggregate data
In statistics, aggregate data describes data combined from several measurements.In economics, aggregate data or data aggregates describes high-level data that is composed of a multitude or combination of other more individual data....
into districts. The resulting summary values (e.g., totals, rates, proportions) are influenced by the choice of district boundaries. For example, census data may be aggregated into census enumeration districts, or postcode areas, or police precincts, or any other spatial partition (thus, the 'areal units' are 'modifiable').
The issue was discovered in 1934 and described in detail by Openshaw (1984), who lamented that "the areal units (zonal objects) used in many geographical studies are arbitrary, modifiable, and subject to the whims and fancies of whoever is doing, or did, the aggregating.".
See also
General topics- Representation theoryRepresentation theoryRepresentation theory is a branch of mathematics that studies abstract algebraic structures by representing their elements as linear transformations of vector spaces, and studiesmodules over these abstract algebraic structures...
- Spatial analysisSpatial analysisSpatial analysis or spatial statistics includes any of the formal techniques which study entities using their topological, geometric, or geographic properties...
Specific applications
- Spatial epidemiologySpatial epidemiologySpatial epidemiology is a subfield of health geography focused on the study of the spatial distribution of disease.-See also:General topics* Cluster * Complete spatial randomness* Geographic information system* Geographic information science...
- Spatial econometricsSpatial econometricsSpatial Econometrics is the field where spatial analysis and econometrics intersect. In general, econometrics differs from other branches of statistics in focusing on theoretical models, whose parameters are estimated using regression analysis...
- GerrymanderingGerrymanderingIn the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...
- Boundary problem (in spatial analysis)Boundary problem (in spatial analysis)A boundary problem in spatial analysis refers to a phenomenon in which geographical patterns are differentiated by the shape and arrangement of boundaries that are drawn for administrative or measurement purposes...