Mixed Spearman's Correlation Suitability for Sine-Shaped Independent Variables in Natural Sciences
Abstract
Pearson's and Spearman's methods are most often used in popular software packages to calculate the correlation coefficient between two variables in natural sciences. The (1) difference between them is that the Pearson's method takes actual numerical values into account whereas the Spearman's operates with their ranks. Ranking is often efficient in dealing with nonlinearities and outliers in the data. However, not both independent (x) and outcome (y) variable have to be suitable for this. We propose not to rank the independent variable in case it comes sine-shaped. Most notable example of such a variable in nature is the temperature. It is sine-shaped due to day-night and summer-winter transitions. It does not contain many outliers, not only due to the shape, but also because it is often sampled at multiple points and averaged (to be linked with a single outcome variable observation). The proposed method is evaluated in simulations and with experimental data obtained in South Adriatic z...ooplankton research. Practical advices on how to apply it using popular software tools are given.
Keywords:
correlation coefficient / natural sciences / Pearson / Spearman / statistics / temperatureSource:
Proceedings / 10th International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (IcETRAN), East Sarajevo, 5-8 June 2023, 2023Publisher:
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Funding / projects:
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200287 (Innovation Center of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy) (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200287)
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200002 (Astronomical Opservatory, Belgrade) (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200002)
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200092 (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Civil Engineering) (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200092)
DOI: 10.1109/IcETRAN59631.2023.10192143
ISBN: 979-8-3503-0711-5
Scopus: 2-s2.0-85168422668
Institution/Community
Inovacioni centarTY - CONF AU - Malović, Miodrag AU - Vukanić, Vera AU - Jevremović, Darko AU - Brajović, Ljiljana PY - 2023 UR - http://TechnoRep.tmf.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/6612 AB - Pearson's and Spearman's methods are most often used in popular software packages to calculate the correlation coefficient between two variables in natural sciences. The (1) difference between them is that the Pearson's method takes actual numerical values into account whereas the Spearman's operates with their ranks. Ranking is often efficient in dealing with nonlinearities and outliers in the data. However, not both independent (x) and outcome (y) variable have to be suitable for this. We propose not to rank the independent variable in case it comes sine-shaped. Most notable example of such a variable in nature is the temperature. It is sine-shaped due to day-night and summer-winter transitions. It does not contain many outliers, not only due to the shape, but also because it is often sampled at multiple points and averaged (to be linked with a single outcome variable observation). The proposed method is evaluated in simulations and with experimental data obtained in South Adriatic zooplankton research. Practical advices on how to apply it using popular software tools are given. PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. C3 - Proceedings / 10th International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (IcETRAN), East Sarajevo, 5-8 June 2023 T1 - Mixed Spearman's Correlation Suitability for Sine-Shaped Independent Variables in Natural Sciences DO - 10.1109/IcETRAN59631.2023.10192143 ER -
@conference{ author = "Malović, Miodrag and Vukanić, Vera and Jevremović, Darko and Brajović, Ljiljana", year = "2023", abstract = "Pearson's and Spearman's methods are most often used in popular software packages to calculate the correlation coefficient between two variables in natural sciences. The (1) difference between them is that the Pearson's method takes actual numerical values into account whereas the Spearman's operates with their ranks. Ranking is often efficient in dealing with nonlinearities and outliers in the data. However, not both independent (x) and outcome (y) variable have to be suitable for this. We propose not to rank the independent variable in case it comes sine-shaped. Most notable example of such a variable in nature is the temperature. It is sine-shaped due to day-night and summer-winter transitions. It does not contain many outliers, not only due to the shape, but also because it is often sampled at multiple points and averaged (to be linked with a single outcome variable observation). The proposed method is evaluated in simulations and with experimental data obtained in South Adriatic zooplankton research. Practical advices on how to apply it using popular software tools are given.", publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.", journal = "Proceedings / 10th International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (IcETRAN), East Sarajevo, 5-8 June 2023", title = "Mixed Spearman's Correlation Suitability for Sine-Shaped Independent Variables in Natural Sciences", doi = "10.1109/IcETRAN59631.2023.10192143" }
Malović, M., Vukanić, V., Jevremović, D.,& Brajović, L.. (2023). Mixed Spearman's Correlation Suitability for Sine-Shaped Independent Variables in Natural Sciences. in Proceedings / 10th International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (IcETRAN), East Sarajevo, 5-8 June 2023 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc... https://doi.org/10.1109/IcETRAN59631.2023.10192143
Malović M, Vukanić V, Jevremović D, Brajović L. Mixed Spearman's Correlation Suitability for Sine-Shaped Independent Variables in Natural Sciences. in Proceedings / 10th International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (IcETRAN), East Sarajevo, 5-8 June 2023. 2023;. doi:10.1109/IcETRAN59631.2023.10192143 .
Malović, Miodrag, Vukanić, Vera, Jevremović, Darko, Brajović, Ljiljana, "Mixed Spearman's Correlation Suitability for Sine-Shaped Independent Variables in Natural Sciences" in Proceedings / 10th International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (IcETRAN), East Sarajevo, 5-8 June 2023 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1109/IcETRAN59631.2023.10192143 . .