Reference table
Neutral replies to participant questions
Six things participants say mid-session, a reply that leads and one that doesn't
A quick reference for interviews and usability tests. Each row pairs something participants often say with a reply that leads them and a neutral alternative using the Echo, Boomerang or Columbo technique. Keep it next to your discussion guide, or use the neutral replies as probing instructions when you set up an AI-moderated study in Koji.
Where this appears
What's in this reference table
| Participant says | A reply that leads | A neutral reply |
|---|---|---|
| "Is this the right button?" | "Yes, that's the one." | Boomerang: "What would you do if I weren't here?" |
| "This is a bit annoying." | "Annoying because it's slow?" | Echo: "Annoying?" |
| "You know how the export works." | "Right, the CSV one." | Columbo: "Remind me how it works...?" |
| "Did I do that right?" | "Perfect, well done." | Boomerang: "What did you expect to happen?" |
| "What is this icon for?" | "It opens your settings." | Boomerang: "What do you think it's for?" |
| "Do you like the new design?" | "We think it's much cleaner." | Boomerang: "What do you make of it?" |
Use this image
Free to use in your docs, decks and posts under CC BY 4.0, as long as you credit Koji with a link to this page. To embed it, paste this into your page:
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<a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/participant-questions-neutral-replies-table"><img src="https://www.koji.so/visuals/participant-questions-neutral-replies-table/participant-questions-neutral-replies-table.png" alt="Table pairing common participant questions with a leading reply and a neutral Echo, Boomerang or Columbo reply that keeps the answer theirs." width="1200" height="799" /></a>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/participant-questions-neutral-replies-table">Neutral replies to participant questions</a>, Koji</p>
