Social psychology can teach us about better UX research by applying its principles to user testing sessions. Specifically, social psychology research requires neutral yet comfortable environments, scripted interactions where every word matters, clear hypotheses rather than just "cool effects", and random assignment of representative rather than random participants. It also teaches us that how we ask questions can introduce biases like framing effects, anchoring biases, and the Dunning-Kruger effect. We should aim to reduce both participants' and our own biases to get more value from what participants say.

1. What can social psychology
teach us about (better) UX
research?
Jessica Cameron, PhD
@jessscameron
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2. 2

3. 3
apadivision45conference.com

4. 4
prisonexp.org

5. 5
Social psychology is the scientific study
of how people's thoughts, feelings, and
behaviours are influenced by the actual,
imagined, or implied presence of others

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(Iyengar & Lepper, 2000)

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8. 8

9. “HELP SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT. You can show
your respect for nature and help save the environment
by reusing your towels during your stay.”
“JOIN YOUR FELLOW GUESTS IN HELPING TO
SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT. Almost 75% of guests
who are asked to participate in our new resource
savings program do help by using their towels more
than once. You can join your fellow guests in this
program to help save the environment by reusing your
towels during your stay.”
(Goldstein, Cialdini & Griskivecius, 2008)
26%

10. Social proof
Scarcity
Reciprocity
Social proof
Scarcity

11. How can social psychology
help us craft more effective
user testing sessions?
11

12. Social psychology research requires:
1. Neutral environments
2. Scripted interactions
3. Clear hypotheses
4. Random assignment to condition

13. huffingtonpost.com

14. The environment
Neutral yet comfortable

15. stanforddaily.com, confirmit.com

17. The interaction
Every word matters

18. 18
simplypsychology.org

19. 1. Please continue.
2. The experiment requires you to
continue.
3. It is absolutely essential that you
continue.
4. You have no other choice but to
continue.
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20. 20

21. The hypothesis
Cool effects are not enough

23. The participants
Representative versus random

24. 24

25. duke.edu

26. 26

27. 27bluebottlecoffee.com

28. 1. Does your test lab make all of your
participants comfortable?
2. What purpose is your banter
serving?
3. What purpose is your research
serving?
4. Do your participants really represent
your users?
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29. 29
How can social psychology
help us understand what users
have to say?

30. 30
How reliable are participants’ comments?
a – not very
b – not at all
c – it depends
d – all of the above

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There is a mismatch between what
people say and what they do

32. 32bhs.co.uk

33. “When asked directly about a possible
effect of the position of the article,
virtually all subjects denied it, usually
with a worried glance at the interviewer
suggesting that they felt either that they
had misunderstood the question or were
dealing with a madman.”
(Nisbett & Wilson, 1977)

34. How can you get more value out of what
participants say?
1. Reduce participants’ biases
2. Reduce your own biases

35. Ask questions that minimise bias
1. Framing effect
2. Anchoring and adjustment
3. Dunning-Kruger effect
4. Fundamental attribution error

36. Framing effect
How you ask the question matters

37. 1. How easy did you find that website to use?
2. How satisfied are you with the amount of
information that you found?
3. How likely are you to recommend this website?
4. How amazing is this presentation?

39. Can we do better?

40. 1. Tell me about what you found easy. Now tell me
about what you found more difficult.
2. Did you feel like the information you read
answered your question?
3. What would you tell a friend about this website?

41. Anchoring effect
Biases can multiply

42. 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8

43. 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1

44. 40,320

46. Dunning-Kruger effect
You don’t know what you don’t know

49. (Kruger & Dunning, 1999)

50. Fundamental attribution
error
It might be your fault

52. 1. Is it the person or the situation?
2. Are you the situation?

53. Thank you!
Jessica Cameron
@jessscameron