Response Surface Methodology Central-Composite Design Modifications for Human Performance Research

Selected response surface methodology (RSM) designs that are viable alternatives in human performance research are discussed. Two major RSM designs that are variations of the basic, blocked, central-composite design have been selected for consideration: (1) central-composite designs with multiple observations at only the center point, and (2) central-composite designs with multiple observations at each experimental point. Designs of the latter type are further categorized as: (a) designs which collapse data across all observations at the same experimental point; (b) between-subjects designs in which no subject is observed more than once, and observations at each experimental point may be multiple and unequal or multiple and equal; and (c) within-subject designs in which each subject is observed only once at each experimental point. The ramifications of these designs are discussed in terms of various criteria such as rotatability, orthogonal blocking, and estimates of error.