Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

submittedVersion

Publication Date

8-2008

Abstract

We propose a nonparametric test of conditional independence based on the weighted Hellinger distance between the two conditional densities, f(y|x,z) and f(y|x), which is identically zero under the null. We use the functional delta method to expand the test statistic around the population value and establish asymptotic normality under β-mixing conditions. We show that the test is consistent and has power against alternatives at distance n−1/2h−d/4. The cases for which not all random variables of interest are continuously valued or observable are also discussed. Monte Carlo simulation results indicate that the test behaves reasonably well in finite samples and significantly outperforms some earlier tests for a variety of data generating processes. We apply our procedure to test for Granger noncausality in exchange rates.

Keywords

β -mixing, Conditional independence, Functional de lta method, Granger non-causality, Hellinger distance, Local bootstrap, Sample selection bias, U -statistics

Discipline

Econometrics

Research Areas

Econometrics

Publication

Econometric Theory

Volume

24

Issue

4

First Page

829

Last Page

864

ISSN

0266-4666

Identifier

10.1017/S0266466608080341

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266466608080341

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Econometrics Commons

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