Symmetric and Unsymmetric Balanced Incomplete Block Designs: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This paperdiscusses a comparat ive analysis on balanced incomp lete block designs by using the classical analysis of variance (ANOVA ) method. Fortunately, the data co llected for the analysis were in t wo groups of the balanced incomp lete-block designs (BIBD's), that is, symmetric, and unsymmetric (BIBD's). In this paper, the basic interest is to apply classical ANOVA on the two types of BIBD's and check whether they are significant and also minimizes error. A secondary data fro m N.R.C.R.I, Umud ike, Abia State was used. To ach ieve this, we shall consider treat ment (adjusted), b lock (adjusted) treatment (not adjusted) in the classical ANOVA method on the available data. Though, symmetric balanced incomp lete block design (SBIBD) and unsymmetric balanced incomp lete block design (USBIBD) are significant, it is pertinent to note that the SBIBD classical A NOVA method is found to be preferable to the USBIBD with reference to their variances at different level of significance.