Most tree-testing tools give us the option of randomizing the order of tasks that are shown to the participants.
If we don't randomize tasks, each participant will see the same tasks in the same order:
Participant 1 | Participant 2 | Participant 3 |
---|---|---|
Task 1 | Task 1 | Task 1 |
Task 2 | Task 2 | Task 2 |
Task 3 | Task 3 | Task 3 |
If we do randomize tasks, each participant will get the tasks in a different (random) order:
Participant 1 | Participant 2 | Participant 3 |
---|---|---|
Task 1 | Task 2 | Task 3 |
Task 2 | Task 3 | Task 1 |
Task 3 | Task 1 | Task 2 |
For most studies, we should randomize the order of tasks. |
Why randomize tasks? Because we want to reduce the learning effect on our results:
Next: Letting participants skip tasks