What is blocking in an experiment?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for an explanation of the concept of blocking in the context of experimentation. Blocking is a technique used in experimental design to reduce variability and improve the accuracy of the results by grouping similar experimental units together.
Answer
Blocking is arranging experimental units into similar groups to control for variability from secondary sources.
Blocking is the arranging of experimental units into groups (blocks) that are similar to one another to control for variability from sources that are not of primary interest to the experimenter.
Answer for screen readers
Blocking is the arranging of experimental units into groups (blocks) that are similar to one another to control for variability from sources that are not of primary interest to the experimenter.
More Information
Blocking is particularly useful for controlling nuisance factors. It helps improve the precision of experiments by reducing variability that cannot be attributed to the treatments under study.
Tips
A common mistake is not adequately identifying all potential nuisance factors, leading to incomplete blocking.
Sources
- Blocking in Statistics: Definition & Example - Statology - statology.org
- Lesson 4: Blocking | STAT 503 - STAT ONLINE - online.stat.psu.edu
- Blocking (statistics) - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
