[Sigia-l] Questioning common test scripting

[Listera]

"Mitchell Gass" wrote:

> 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 what point do you cross the Pavlovian line?

If you're very nice to me, I might overlook (consciously or subconsciously)
problems I may otherwise not tolerate or work extra hard to locate problems
just to be polite/considerate/helpful. As the interviewer, you may never
know what I really feel.

Now, I'm all for having 'conversations' with (potential) users; they are
invaluable. But they are just that: informal conversations. Like the
difference between telling someone what you think and testifying under oath
for a capital case.

Hopefully, you're not putting a patina of "oh-so-scientific, white-coat
usability engineering" stuff on all this.

Ziya
Nullius in Verba