Usability testing is all about getting participants to suspend disbelief enough to walk through the use of a product, as if they didn't have a roomful of people watching them, and engaging them in a task. Oh, and the observers have to shut up, or it doesn't work.
Getting people to act natural in those circumstances sounds implausible, but Jakob Nielsen's blog Alertbox argues that it really works. This posting describes the motivation participants have to succeed in these kinds of tests, and offers tips and pitfalls for testers.
The process even works when you replace a usable web site with a paper-based walk-through of how the site would work.
While usability testing has its limitations, it's definitely worth considering. Or, you could just trust your hunches about how people behave, and hope for the best. It's your choice.
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