The standardized residual sum of squares index was proposed to examine the significant merit of a given color-difference formula over another with respect to a given set of visual color-difference data [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 24, 1823-1829, 2007]. This index can also be employed to determine intra- and inter-observer variability, although the full complexity of this variability cannot be described by just one number. Appropriate utilization of the standardized residual sum of squares index for the assessment of observer variability is described with a view to encourage its use in future color-difference research. The main goal of this paper is to demonstrate that setting the F parameters of the standardized residual sum of squares index to 1 results in a loss of essential properties of the index (for example, symmetry), and is therefore strongly discouraged.