There are various techniques that help uncover insights into user behavior and preferences without falling into the trap of many biases. One such technique that holds significant importance is "counterbalancing". I recently discovered this technique and it immediately made sense to me. While the term might sound a bit complex, its concept is quite simple and valuable for running a usability or any other test that contains a set of tasks for the users to go through. In this article, we'll delve into what counterbalancing is, how it's used, and when it's most effective.

What is Counterbalancing

Counterbalancing is like a balancing act in UX research. Imagine you have 4 different tasks for 4 participants, and you want to compare and understand which task has the shortest completion time for example. Counterbalancing comes into play by ensuring that 4 tasks are tested by users in a way that eliminates potential biases. This is done by presenting tasks to different users in different orders.

Counterbalancing basically means shuffling tasks so that each participant performs each task in a different order. As you can see in the table above Task 1 (T1) is performed as Second Task only by the second participant (P2).

Why We Use Counterbalancing

A small thing in psychology called order effect, the definition goes like this:

“An order effect occurs when participants' responses in the various conditions are affected by the order of conditions to which they were exposed.”

One type of the order effect is the carry-over effect:

“The possibility that effects gained from a previous treatment may still be present and, therefore, be carried over in the next treatment. Also, the current performance of a participant may be affected by the experimental conditions which preceded the current one.”

What this means is that there is a good possibility that participants will learn something from the first task and carry over that knowledge to the next one. This could only be solved by juggling the task positions so that the risk of a carry-over effect is minimized.

When to Use Counterbalancing

Counterbalancing is particularly useful when you want to measure preferences, such as when comparing different visual designs, layouts, or even wording on a website. Imagine you have Version A and Version B of some design. Instead of having all users test Version A first and then Version B, you mix things up. Half of the users start with Version A and then move to Version B.

When to Avoid Counterbalancing

While counterbalancing is a powerful technique, it's not always necessary. If you're testing something that isn't affected by the order in which users experience it, or if the order itself is a crucial part of the user experience (for example, the sequence of steps in a tutorial), then counterbalancing might not be the best choice.

Summary

In conclusion, counterbalancing is a clever approach that ensures fairness in comparing different versions of a design or task. It minimizes the impact of order effects and external factors, leading to more reliable insights.

Keep in mind:

• Counterbalancing basically means mixing order.

• It helps us minimize the risk of the carry-over effect

• Perfect to use when comparing a few different visual designs or tasks

• If the natural order of tasks is present, counterbalancing is not appropriate