A graphical approach for evaluating the potential impact of bias due to model misspecification in response surface designs

The basic purpose of response surface analysis is to generate a relatively simple model to serve as an adequate approximation for a more complex phenomenon. This model then may be used for other purposes, for example prediction or optimization. Since the proposed model is only an approximation, the analyst almost always faces the potential of bias due to model misspecification. The ultimate impact of this bias depends upon the choice both of the experimental design and of the region for conducting the experiment.

This dissertation proposes a graphical approach for evaluating the impact of bias upon response surface designs. Essentially, it extends the work of Giovannitti-Jensen (1987) and Giovannitti-Jensen and Myers (1988) who have developed a graphical technique for displaying a design's prediction variance capabilities. This dissertation extends this concept: (1) to the prediction bias due to model misspecification; (2) the prediction bias due to the presence of a single outlier; and (3) to a mean squared error of prediction. Several common first and second-order response surface designs are evaluated through this approach.