Prevent users from fantasizing

When usability testing, participants would sometimes forget about actually doing the task and go completely hypothetical. They would fantasize about how they would go about the task without actually doing it.

This, of course, won't uncover many usability issues because in their imagination the product works exactly as they imagined it.

DO interrupt the fantasy

• Participant: [fantasizing] "So I would complete the form fields one by one. Then I would review my data, correct the mistakes, read the terms and conditions..."
• Researcher: "Please, try to actually perform it."

There is one popular UXR technique that is especially prone to produce hypothetical answers: hypothetical questions. E.g.

"Where would you click next", "How might you complete it?", "How could you move on?"

DON'T nudge using hypotheticals

• Participant: [completed a form]
• Researcher: [nudges using a hypothetical] "What would you do next?"
• Participant: [going hypothetical] "Well, I would review my data, correct the mistakes, read the terms and conditions and click submit."

DO nudge with mirroring

• Participant: [completed a form]
• Researcher: [nudges with mirroring] "So, you have just completed the address field..."
• Participant: [continues the task] "Yes. Then I just click here and it says submitted. Success."