Proposal of a single critical value for the lenth method

Abstract

Different critical values deduced by simulation have been proposed that greatly improve Lenth's original proposal. However, these simulations assume that all effects are zero - something not realistic - producing bigger than desired critical values and thus significance levels lower that intended. This article, in accordance with Box [2] well known idea that Experimental Design should be about learning and not about testing and based on studying how the presence of a realistic number and size of active effects affects critical values, proposes to use t = 2 for any number of runs equal or greater than 8. And it shows that this solution, in addition of being simpler, provides under reasonable realistic situations better results than those obtained by simulation.