Disadvantages

■ Depending on the skill of the testing staff, the control room setup can create a very impersonal  environment. This is sometimes referred to as the "guinea pig" syndrome, with the participant feeling overly

self-conscious during the test. (This effect can be exacerbated by the type of intercom system used, some of which make the test moderator's instructions sound like the "voice of God/') This self-consciousness is worse for less sophisticated (in terms of exposure to high-tech equipment) participants who are insecure about their abilities. The test moderator may need to mitigate the effects of this setup by staying in the room

with a less sophisticated participant.

■ Unless you have ideal camera placements, you may not be able to see exactly what the participant is viewing or experiencing. For example, sometimes you may nol be able to tell where in a document or on a

screen a participant is looking unless there is a dedicated and well-placed camera {or you are employing eye-tracking equipment). To compensate, you may need to use a "thinking aloud" protocol, which may not fit in with your test design

■ For exploratory tests, the control room setup may offer little advantage to moderating the test, because you will need to be next to the participant in any case. However, for observers, it is still superior to the other

types of setups.