Revealing Mental Models of a Cooking Process through use of a Hidden Moderator: A Case Study

Abstract

This case study applies a method historically used in social psychology, namely the use of a confederate (more precisely a “hidden moderator” in our case), to the process of user-centered product design. Whirlpool Corporation's User Experience Group desired to learn more about user processes and mental models associated with broiling food inside an oven. To this end we needed to elicit users' mental models, thoughts and descriptions as they carried out broiling tasks, but also needed to avoid influencing either the formation of, or the revealing of, mental models by overtly probing with scripted questions and prompts. We were able to accomplish this by planting a hidden moderator (whose role was to co-moderate) within small groups of test participants. We found that the focus of the test participants shifted away from the primary moderator and towards the hidden moderator. By having the hidden moderator play the role of a novice that wished to learn from the expertise of the test participants, participants were more motivated to engage in detailed, natural dialogue, thus leveraging a familiar and valuable teacher-student social dynamic. Initial data suggest that the use of a hidden moderator in user testing can help reveal users' mental models of complex procedures, critical user needs, and usage context — information that is difficult to access using traditional user research or usability methods.