Confirmation bias
Confirmation biases occur when researchers tend to focus on evidence that confirms their assumptions and ignore opinions that contradict those assumptions. Users may complain that microcopy in a product contains too much technical jargon and is difficult to comprehend, for example. Influenced by confirmation biases, UX researchers might discount such feedback because the copy makes sense to them.
UX practitioners can avoid confirmation biases by:
- Asking open-ended questions that inspire participants to talk
- Avoid questions that seek confirmation of your ideas
- Actively listening to what users say
- Including more people in the study to check if their hypothesis is right or wrong
