Unpack why user asked the question

It's commonplace among UX Researchers that when usability testing, we shouldn't answer the participants' questions. But we shouldn't remain silent either.

DON'T - stay silent

• Participant: [Looking at a timestamp on the screen "7:17 pm"] "What timezone is this?"
• Researcher: [Doesn't answer. Stays completely silent.]
• Participant: [Why is she ignoring me? Did I say something stupid?]

DO #1 - unpack by asking back

• Participant: "What timezone is this?"
• Researcher: "What do you think?"
• Participant: [feels encouraged to explain more] "I really hope that it's my timezone so I don't have to do the conversion in my head. But it's not clear. Could you add a hint at least? Your software's timestamps are all over the place - some of them are GMT, some of them display server time and only God knows which is which..."

DO #2 - unpack by mirroring the question

• Participant: "What timezone is this?"
• Researcher: "So you are wondering what timezone this might be..."
• Participant: [feels encouraged to explain more] "I really hope that it's my timezone..."

I don't like complete silence because it can leave the participant feeling ignored. At a bare minimum, I acknowledge that I heard the participant asking a question. "Interesting question."

Beyond that, I really wanna learn why they have that question in the first place. After all the UI should tell them everything - they shouldn't have questions. What makes them uncertain?

Asking back (#1) is a simple and great way to get that information. But I like mirroring better (#2) because it also trains the participant to think out loud... It is almost as if you were holding their thought for them until they are ready to pick it up again... So elegant and so effective.