In this episode, Glenn, a UX research consultant, shares his insights on why asking "why" in user research can sometimes be a terrible idea. He explains how psychology plays a role in people’s ability to truthfully answer "why" questions and how asking them can lead to rationalization, giving us responses that may not reflect true motivations.
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🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:
https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/glenn-stevens-why-not-to-ask-why/
Episode highlights
- 00:03:30 – Why asking "why" in user research can be problematic
- 00:05:43 – The psychology behind people's inability to explain why truthfully
- 00:12:28 – Using storytelling as a more effective method for gathering insights
- 00:17:18 – The dangers of rationalization in interviews and how to avoid it
- 00:29:59 – Why asking "why" in surveys can be more acceptable
- 00:32:03 – Where to follow Glenn for more insights
About our guest Glenn Stevens
Glenn, a research strategist based in Belgium, helps organisations advance their research practice and de-risk their decisions by gaining evidence about what their customers need and want. He mixes qualitative and quantitative methods to observe what people need, ask them about it or measure it. Driven to enhance the effectiveness and validity of insights, he's passionate about optimising research design and finetuning questions and tasks.
Over nearly a decade as a UX contractor, he's partnered with clients like Ahold Delhaize, Novartis, Accountable, Belfius, Auth0 and Red Cross. Currently, he helps ING expand their research methodologies, influence and reach.
🔎 Where to follow Glenn
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About this podcast:
Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them.
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