Comparison of Confidence Intervals on Variance Component In a Simple Linear Regression Model with Unbalanced Nested Error Structure

In applications using a linear regression model with nested error structure, one might be interested in making inferences concerning variance components. This article proposes approximate confidence intervals on the variance component of the primary level in a simple linear regression model with an unbalanced nested error structure. The intervals are compared using computer simulation and recommendations are provided for selecting an appropriate interval.