What is one disadvantage of unmoderated usability studies?

One disadvantage of unmoderated usability studies is the lack of real-time support for participants. In these types of studies, participants typically conduct their tasks independently without a moderator guiding them or answering questions that may arise during the testing process. This absence of immediate assistance can lead to confusion or frustration, which may affect the accuracy of the usability data collected. Participants might struggle with instructions or features of the product and thus may not provide genuine feedback on the usability issues due to their unaddressed concerns or misunderstandings.

While higher costs and control over participant behavior might apply to different study formats, and immediate follow-up questions are a strength of moderated studies, the absence of real-time support in unmoderated studies distinctly highlights a significant limitation in the usability testing process.