Reducing Stress Associated with Participating in a Usability Test

Abstract

Although usability tests are typically conducted with a purpose of making products less stressful for people to use, the usability testing process itself can be stressful for many test participants. The combination of trying to use a new product, being videotaped, and being watched by others, is a potentially stressful environment for many people. Although the Subject Precautions section of the Human Factors Society Code of Ethics clearly states that “the exposure of human or animal research subjects to … stress” should be “commensurate with the significance of the problem being researched,” the Code of Ethics does not provide guidance for reducing exposure of human subjects to stress. This paper describes several practical extensions to the Subject Precautions that can help reduce stress associated with participating as a subject in a usability test. The recommendations in this paper are based on anecdotal evidence gathered in numerous usability tests conducted in both laboratory and field settings. Recommendations are included for preparing the test environment, recruiting test participants, and interacting with participants during testing.