Moderated Testing
A researcher is there and can ask follow-up questions.
Definition
Research sessions run with a facilitator present who can observe, probe and adapt.
Craft convention. True because the industry converged on it. Breaking it costs familiarity, not correctness.
On this plate
In plain language
A researcher is there and can ask follow-up questions.
Example
A live remote session where the researcher asks what the participant expected to happen.
Commonly confused with
Close neighbours that get substituted for each other. The difference is stated first, then the condition that picks one over the other.
Unmoderated Testing
TermA session participants complete alone, recorded and reviewed afterwards.
Key difference
Moderated sessions have a researcher present who can probe and unstick. Unmoderated sessions run on their own, which scales and costs less, and gives up every follow-up question.
Use Moderated Testing when
- The task is complex or the prototype is fragile.
- The why matters more than the completion rate.
- You expect to need follow-up questions.
Use Unmoderated Testing when
- The task is simple and self-explanatory.
- You need many sessions quickly or across time zones.
- You are measuring rather than exploring.
Local chart
TERM·028 · Region X · Grid C6
This entry and the entries it is stated to connect with. Each line is labelled with what the connection means.
Continue from here
Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.
Deeper reading
The full entry behind this definition.
- Usability TestingRES·001 · Research method
- Usability Test ScriptTPL·007 · Template