  This work presents a nonparametric statistical test, $S$-maup, to measure the
sensitivity of a spatially intensive variable to the effects of the Modifiable
Areal Unit Problem (MAUP). $S$-maup is the first statistic of its type and
focuses on determining how much the distribution of the variable, at its
highest level of spatial disaggregation, will change when it is spatially
aggregated. Through a computational experiment, we obtain the basis for the
design of the statistical test under the null hypothesis of non-sensitivity to
MAUP. We performed a simulation study for approaching the empirical
distribution of the statistical test, obtaining its critical values, and
computing its power and size. The results indicate that the power of the
statistic is good if the sample (number of areas) grows, and in general, the
size decreases with increasing sample number. Finally, an empirical application
is made using the Mincer equation in South Africa.
