Glossary

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Acquiescence Bias(also: Agreement Bias, Yea-Saying)

A type of response bias where survey respondents tend to agree with statements regardless of their actual content. This "yea-saying" tendency can skew research results, particularly in accessibility studies where participants may feel inclined to provide positive feedback.…

Between-Subjects Design(also: Between-Groups Design, Independent-Groups Design)

A between-subjects design is an experimental research design in which each participant is assigned to only one condition, and the conditions are compared across different groups of people. It contrasts with within-subjects (repeated-measures) designs, in which every participant…

Cooperative Evaluation(also: Cooperative Usability Evaluation, Modified Think-Aloud)

A usability evaluation method in which the researcher and participant work together as collaborators rather than following a strict observer-subject protocol. Unlike standard controlled experiments, cooperative evaluation allows participants to think aloud, ask questions, and…

Galvanic Skin Response(also: GSR, Electrodermal Activity, EDA)

A physiological measurement technique that detects changes in the electrical conductance of the skin caused by sweat gland activity. Because sweat glands are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, GSR provides an objective indicator of emotional arousal, stress, and…

Heat Map(also: Heatmap, Attention Map, Gaze Map)

A data visualization technique that uses colour intensity to represent the distribution and density of user attention or interaction on a page or interface. In eye tracking research, heat maps aggregate fixation data from multiple users, with warmer colours (red, orange)…

Hierarchical Task Analysis(also: HTA)

A structured method for describing and analyzing tasks by breaking them down into goals, sub-goals, and operations in a hierarchical tree structure. Originally developed for industrial and safety-critical domains, HTA has been adopted in accessibility research to identify where…

Likert Scale(also: Likert-Type Scale)

A psychometric rating scale commonly used in surveys and usability studies where respondents indicate their level of agreement or satisfaction on a symmetric scale, typically with 5 or 7 points ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Likert scales are standard…

Likert Scale(also: Likert-type Scale, Rating Scale)

A psychometric scale commonly used in surveys and questionnaires where respondents indicate their level of agreement with a statement, typically using options ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." In accessibility research, Likert scales are frequently used to…

Peak Velocity

The maximum speed reached by a cursor or limb during a directed movement toward a target. In human-computer interaction research, peak velocity is a key metric for understanding pointing performance, typically occurring in the first quarter of a movement. Peak velocity decreases…

Playtesting(also: Play testing)

A user-research method in game and interactive-system design in which representative users play an in-development game while researchers observe, collect think-aloud commentary, and conduct follow-up interviews to probe mechanics, engagement, difficulty, and fit with intended…

Pluralistic Walkthrough(also: Pluralistic Usability Walkthrough)

A group usability inspection method, introduced by Randolph Bias in 1994, in which users, developers, and usability specialists step through a task scenario together, each writing down the actions they would take at every screen before discussing as a group. It extends the…

Response Bias(also: Acquiescence Bias, Yea-Saying Bias)

A systematic tendency for research participants to respond in a particular way regardless of the actual content of the question, distorting data collection and analysis. In accessibility research involving people with intellectual disabilities, acquiescence bias — the tendency…

Response Bias(also: Survey Bias, Respondent Bias)

A systematic tendency for survey respondents to answer questions in a way that does not accurately reflect their true opinions or experiences. In accessibility research, response bias is particularly important to consider because participants with disabilities may provide more…

Retrospective Protocol(also: Retrospective Think Aloud, Retrospective Verbal Protocol, Post-Task Protocol)

A usability evaluation method in which participants complete tasks first and then describe their thought processes, decisions, and experiences immediately afterwards, rather than verbalising concurrently during the task. Retrospective protocols are particularly important in…

Semi-Automatic Wizard-of-Oz(also: Semi-Automatic WoZ)

A hybrid Wizard-of-Oz study methodology in which part of a prototype system is implemented with real automation while a human researcher (the 'wizard') intervenes only for components that are not yet reliable enough to run autonomously. For example, an AI agent may generate…

Single Ease Question(also: SEQ)

A post-task usability metric consisting of a single 7-point rating scale question asking users how easy or difficult a task was to complete. The SEQ is widely used in usability studies because it is quick to administer, easy for participants to understand, and provides reliable…

Social Desirability Bias(also: Impression Management)

A type of response bias where participants answer questions in a manner they believe will be viewed favorably by others rather than responding truthfully. In accessibility research contexts, this can manifest when participants with disabilities provide positive ratings to appear…

System Usability Scale(also: SUS)

A widely used, standardized questionnaire consisting of 10 items that measures perceived usability of a system. Developed by John Brooke in 1986, SUS provides a "quick and dirty" reliable measure of usability. Each item uses a 5-point Likert scale, and the final score ranges…

Task Completion Time(also: TCT, Time on Task)

A key usability metric measuring the time a user takes to complete a specific task from start to finish. In accessibility research, task completion time is one of the primary measures for comparing the efficiency of different assistive technology approaches or interaction…

Think Aloud(also: Think-Aloud Protocol, Verbal Protocol, Concurrent Think Aloud)

A research methodology where participants verbalize their thoughts while performing a task, providing insight into cognitive processes that would otherwise be unobservable. In accessibility research, think-aloud protocols are commonly used during usability testing to understand…

UEQ-S(also: User Experience Questionnaire - Short, Short UEQ)

UEQ-S is an eight-item short version of the User Experience Questionnaire, a standardised survey instrument that measures subjective user experience on a 7-point semantic-differential scale. It captures two broad factors: pragmatic quality (supportive, easy, efficient, clear)…

Usability Study(also: Usability Test, Usability Evaluation)

A research method that evaluates how easily and effectively users can interact with a product, system, or prototype by observing real users performing tasks. Usability studies measure factors such as task completion rate, error frequency, time on task, and subjective…

Video Coding(also: Behavioural Video Coding, Video Data Coding)

A systematic research method in which trained analysts review video recordings to identify, label, and categorise specific behaviours, actions, emotions, or events. In accessibility and usability research, video coding is used to analyse recordings of user testing sessions to…

23 results.