Who’s There? Mystery Calling for UX Research

• Michael J. Madson

  Arizona State University

  Author

• Yoshita Gade

  Arizona State University

  Author

• Unnati Srivastava

  Arizona State University

  Author

This article provides a critical discussion of how mystery calling can support user experience research, offering insights grounded in the extant literature as well as our experience as mystery callers. The pros of mystery calling include data from (near) authentic interactions, scalability, cost efficiency, and broad applicability. The cons include medium bias, rigidity, challenges with standardization, and possible consequences when participants learn of the minor deception. Yet, the telephone is not a stable technology, and we anticipate significant impacts from artificial intelligence (AI). Broadly, we anticipate that AI will make future mystery caller studies more dependent on machine-machine interactions, with the human playing more of a supervisory and editing role. In particular, AI will automate and expand functions related to data collection, data analysis, project management, and research reporting. Given the current state of the method and its trajectory, we conclude with practical tips for UX researchers who may deploy mystery calling in their own work. We emphasize the need to weigh the ethics of mystery calling carefully.

1. Michael J. Madson, Arizona State University

   Michael is an assistant professor in the user experience and technical communication programs at Arizona State University. His current research focuses on drug safety, especially opioids and cannabis.

2. Yoshita Gade, Arizona State University

   Yoshita came to UX from architecture. She has worked as a product designer at Rythmos and Global Launch ASU. She recently earned her master’s degree in UX from Arizona State University.

3. Unnati Srivastava, Arizona State University

   Unnati has a background in computer science. She has a wide range of experience working with B2C, B2B, and SaaS clients. She also earned her master’s degree in UX from Arizona State University.