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Retrospective think aloud

Retrospective think aloud is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Retrospective think aloud rather than just read about it. In short: Retrospective think aloud protocol is a technique used in usability, and eye tracking in particular, to gather qualitative information on the user intents and reasoning during a test. It's a form of think aloud protocol performed after the user testing session activities, instead of during them.

Key takeaways

  • Retrospective think aloud belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Retrospective think aloud to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Retrospective think aloud from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Retrospective think aloud protocol is a technique used in usability, and eye tracking in particular, to gather qualitative information on the user intents and reasoning during a test. It's a form of think aloud protocol performed after the user testing session activities, instead of during them. Fairly often the retrospective protocol is stimulated by using a visual reminder such as a video replay. In writing studies, the visual reminder may be the writing produced during the think-aloud session.

References "The Validity of the Stimulated Retrospective Think-Aloud Method as Measured by Eye Tracking". 2006. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.95.8504. {{cite CiteSeerX}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |citeseerx= (help) "Using Retrospective Think Aloud With Eye Tracking Usability Testing". 24 September 2009.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Retrospective think aloud

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Retrospective think aloud claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Retrospective think aloud before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Retrospective think aloud ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Retrospective think aloud

In research
Retrospective think aloud appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Retrospective think aloud in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Retrospective think aloud is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computing stubs, Human–computer interaction, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Retrospective think aloud outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Retrospective think aloud in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Retrospective think aloud means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Retrospective think aloud out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Retrospective think aloud in simple terms?

Retrospective think aloud protocol is a technique used in usability, and eye tracking in particular, to gather qualitative information on the user intents and reasoning during a test. It's a form of think aloud protocol performed after the user testing session activities, instead of during them.

Why does Retrospective think aloud matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Retrospective think aloud?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Retrospective think aloud.

Tags

  • Computing stubs
  • Human–computer interaction

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