[Sigia-l] Questioning common test scripting

[Mitchell Gass]

At 11:19 AM 6/10/2003 +1000, InfoArchitect asked:
>...When preparing participants, how many of you include "We are not 
>testing you" in your script?

I do.

>...this technique is inconsistent with the research of Wegner (1994) who 
>has shown that "not thinking" about certain things can be taxing, if not 
>impossible when specifically directed...

This may have been true in Wegner's study, but does it also hold in the 
context of a usability test? When explaining test procedures to 
participants at the start of test sessions, "we are not testing you" is 
just one of many things I mention. After the explanation of the procedures, 
when participants begin the tasks, they immediately have many other things 
to think about.

Here are some other ways in which what happens during a usability test may 
be different from what Wegner describes: When I moderate diagnostic test 
sessions, I sit next to participants, and I am constantly alert for signs 
that they may be feeling uncomfortable or self-conscious. When necessary I 
redirect participants' attention to the task at hand and to the invaluable 
help they're providing us. The goal is always to foster good will and a 
spirit of cooperation. I emphasize throughout each session how much we 
value their thoughts and how what we're learning can help us improve the 
design. The point here is that the situation in a usability test is not 
static; I can intervene to help participants feel more comfortable and be 
more engaged. At the end of a session, it is quite common for a participant 
to say, "That was fun!", which confirms what I'll know much earlier when a 
session is going well.

Mitchell Gass
uLab | PDA: Learning from Users | Designing with Users
Berkeley, CA 94707 USA
+1 510 525-6864 voice
+1 510 525-4246 fax
http://www.participatorydesign.com/