Attitude and Behavior Research in UX
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Attitude research captures users' opinions and feelings in the form of self-reported data; Behavioral research observes users' actions.
Attitudinal and behavioral research methods in UX provide a clear but complementary understanding of how users interact with products and services. Similar to the difference between qualitative and quantitative research methods, both are valuable and differ in approach and procedure.
Definitions of Attitude and Behavior Research
Relationship Research delve into the subjective experiences, preferences, expectations and feelings of users, seeking to understand “why”. Attitude research collects self-reported data through questions about thoughts, feelings, and opinions about a product or service.
Behavioral Research involve direct observation of how users interact with a product.
Taken together, these research approaches offer a holistic view of user experience, combining what users say with what they do. Combining attitudinal and behavioral research enables effective design decisions to be made.
Relationship Research – Questions about Subjective Experience
Attitude research aims to collect data about things that cannot be observed directly because they exist only in users' minds—their thoughts, emotional reactions, preferences, and mental models. Since we can't read people's minds, we should ask them questions designed to elicit their subjective experience. Biometric data such as facial expression, skin conductance, temperature, heart rate, and eye movements can provide some limited objective data about how anxious or tense a participant is. However, they don't tell us what the user is actually thinking or feeling: asking them questions is the most reliable way to explore these aspects of the experience.
Because attitude research deals with self-reported data, we must be careful to avoid influencing their responses. When conducting surveys, questionnaires, interviews or focus groups, it is extremely It is important to ask neutral and unbiased questions, ensuring that the responses received are a true reflection of the participants' true feelings and opinions. Leading questions that ask for a specific answer or make implicit assumptions can skew results and provide a misleading picture of user attitudes.
“Do you agree that our user interface has a clean and modern design?” is an example of a leading question that most researchers try to avoid. Because users have imperfect memories and may be biased by social desirability bias, questions about past behavior or future intentions may lead to inaccurate results. It is therefore important to avoid this as much as possible and use behavioral research to collect this type of data. Some limited use of questions about past habits or future intentions is acceptable as long as the data are viewed as an imperfect estimate rather than a precise measurement.
Examples of attitude research methods
– Surveys and questionnaires
these tools are used to collect self-reported data about user preferences, satisfaction levels, and perceived product usability. They can be widely disseminated, offering quantitative data that reflects the attitudes of a wide base of users.
– Interview
One-on-one interviews provide insight into users' attitudes, beliefs, and desires regarding a product. They allow for deeper understanding through open-ended questions and follow-up inquiries.
– Focus groups
By engaging a group of users to discuss their opinions about a product, focus groups promote a dynamic exchange of ideas by identifying common views and preferences among target users.
Behavioral Research: Observing users to study their actions
Unlike attitudinal research, behavioral research studies observable behavior. Behavioral research sheds light on how users navigate and use a product, revealing patterns and barriers that may not be obvious if simply asked. This approach is critical for optimization of user interfaces, for improved performance and ease of use.
Examples of Behavioral Research Methods
– Usability testing
in this method, researchers directly observe users as they interact with a product to perform specific tasks. Usability testing identifies usability problems and areas that users encounter.
– Eye tracking
this method tracks where and how long a user looks at different areas of the screen, offering insight into the user's attention and engagement.
– Analytics
By combining data about where users click, mouse, or scroll, analytics provide aggregate user activity within a product, highlighting the pages and features that users interact with naturally, as well as areas that are neglected.
– A/B testing
A/B testing compares two versions of a web page or app feature to determine which performs better in terms of user engagement, conversion rates, or other behavioral metrics.
Attitude vs Behavior
What users say and what they do often varies greatly. People have imperfect memory; they may also have difficulty explaining their inner experiences clearly. They may even unconsciously change their minds to reflect social norms or agree with the researcher. However, we need both types of data: both what people think or feel and how they act are integral to their user experience. It is very important to find out how users perceive our projects, as well as what their actual behavior patterns are. The discrepancy between users' attitudes and their actions is often a great source of information.
Integrating Attitudinal and Behavioral Research
In fact, much of the research that UX researchers conduct is hybrid, incorporating both attitudinal and behavioral data. Qualitative usability testing, diary studies, and contextual queries are all core UX research methods that can be used to collect both behavioral and attitudinal data. We directly observe users' behavior to see what they do, but we also ask open-ended questions to gather information about what they think, feel and expect. The combination of both aspects gives the “what” and “why” answer. For example, a user may hesitate before clicking a button labeled “Done” at the end of an ecommerce checkout. When we directly observe this uncertainty, we can form many hypotheses about what exactly is causing them to wonder. Perhaps they're unsure about their purchase, or maybe they're not sure what exactly will happen – will their credit card be charged or will there be a confirmation step before placing an order? Open-ended follow-up questions help us find out exactly why the user was hesitant.
Combining attitude and behavioral research allows UX designers to understand not only what users do, but why they do it, bridging the gap between user expectations and behavior.
Application in UX design
A balanced UX research strategy uses both attitudinal and behavioral methods to inform design decisions. For example, survey or interview data may identify areas of user dissatisfaction, which require more careful study. Behavioral research techniques, such as usability testing or analytics, can then be used to observe how users interact with these areas, providing clear direction for design improvements.
This integrated approach ensures that designs are not only functional and user-friendly, but also deeply rooted in understanding user attitudes and behavior.
Conclusion
The distinction between attitudinal research and behavioral research is important for UX professionals seeking to create effective, user-centered designs. While each type of research offers unique information, together they provide a holistic understanding of the user experience. By using both approaches in tandem, designers can ensure that their solutions meet user expectations and are optimized for ease of use, which ultimately results in products that users find valuable and convenient.
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