A simple nonparametric index of bivariate association for environmental data exploration

A purely data-based index for detecting bivariate association is proposed for preliminary data exploration when seeking to model a dependent variable, associated with a possibly large number of independent variables. No particular form of association between the dependent and independent variables is assumed. The proposed bivariate association index is the value p , which is the probability that a scatter plot created by an X -randomization will generate a smaller mean nearest neighbour distance. The rationale is that randomizing an existing X-Y association will result in a scatter plot which will usually have a greater mean nearest neighbour distance. The process is then repeated for all other independent variables to give a specific p for each one. A subset of potentially informative independent variables is then obtained by noting all those with low p values, but just how small p should be is left to the user.