The Illusion of the Rational User - Misbehavior, Distraction, Mistakes and Accessibility Testing for Real Life
taught by: Radostina (Ina) Tsvetkova
Session Summary
We often assume that users behave rationally, believing they read instructions, follow a linear path, and complete tasks without error, but real interactions are far messier as people misclick, get distracted, skip instructions, or abandon tasks. These behaviors are not exceptions but part of daily life.
Description
This presentation challenges traditional views of user behavior, advocating for accessibility testing that reflects real-world unpredictability, mental effort, and emotional impact. It explores how current testing practices overlook critical failure points that appear when users do not follow expected “happy” paths. Drawing from cognitive accessibility principles, behavioral science, trauma-informed design, and emotional accessibility, it shows how systems often fail because they are not built to handle mistakes and distraction.
We will introduce practical techniques for simulating cognitive overload, distraction, memory lapses, emotional stress, and task abandonment. These include testing for recovery, non-linear navigation, focus disruption, and robustness in unexpected situations. We will also explore how emotional accessibility, the ability of a system to support calm, trust, and psychological safety, plays a critical role in inclusive design.
Attendees will learn how to test not only for compliance, but also for clarity, recovery, and compassion, and make systems more forgiving, predictable, and inclusive.
Practical Skills
- Users do not follow “happy paths”, learn how to test for real-life unpredictability.
- Use practical strategies to cover user error, task abandonment, cognitive overload, emotional stress, and trauma-aware risks.
- Learn how to make systems more forgiving, predictable, and inclusive.