photo credit: Roebot
I have seen a lot of usability test results in my time, and I have also carried out a whole truck load these tests myself. I find that a lot of people carrying out these tests are unaware of the statistical analysis necessary to interpret the results of the test. When I ask:
- “Why did you only use 5 people?”
The answer is often:
- “Because that’s what Nielsen says to use”
The problem is that the Nielsen 5 user rule is correct only in very very specific circumstances, and …

photo credit: lilongd
Social psychology is all about researching how social groups interact, and how the individuals interact with each other within social groups. Experimental psychology is ”the study of the mind and mental operations by the use of experimental methods.” (Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health) – Experimental social psychology is what you get when you mix both of the above together.
It has found its way into the popular bookshelves, in the pages of Gladwell’s Outliers, for example (there are many more others of course), and …