during usability testing, the observation room is a separate room from which experimenters can observe the user without disturbing the user, often observing through a video connection or through a one-way mirror. The observation is almost always explicit -- the user is perfectly aware of being observed. In most cases it would be unethical not to tell the user about being observed, and most users are able to guess it anyway. Nevertheless, by being separated from the user, it helps the experimenter to avoid commenting or otherwise interacting with the user, and helps lower the user's anxiety and produce more naturalistic behavior.
- experiment
- one-way mirror
- usability lab
- Glossary Categories > Usability Methods
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