Unreliable Narrators: Mirrors to Ourselves?
We as designers, researchers, creators strive to create the best products and services for our clients, users, and humans. We examine the human condition and relationship among one another, organizations, and technology. We draw inspiration not only from the voices of our users but also search beyond the realms of our industry into others- Looking to see what other companies and industries do to address similar problems.
But, we need to look further afield to not only draw inspiration, but also parallel lessons. What better way to understand the human condition than through literature and media. “Literature and media?” you may be questioning. Yes, the same areas of work that brought you great masterpieces such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Fight Club, and Memento. These are pieces of work created by humans that evoke emotions and actions from our human condition. It is this medium of creativity and fiction that allows areas of the human condition to be exaggerated, highlighted, or even exploited so that the audience can face the subtext head-on.
It is from these areas of work that the tool of the “Unreliable Narrator” emerges. It is this literary and cinematographic technique that provides a framework in which we, designers and researchers, need to consider when speaking and observing our user groups. The unreliable narrator highlights the subjective nature of human observation as well as the often incorrect or incoherent story we tend to tell and hear. Thus, another level of analysis and consideration is needed when analyzing the notes, data, and results of our research. Essentially, we need to be taking the perspective that we are working with unreliable narrators to face the subtext and unknown in our work, rather than pushing it aside.
What is an Unreliable Narrator?
To begin with, what is an “Unreliable Narrator”? The narrator is essentially the character that readers and viewers interact with. They are central in telling the story. It is through the narrator’s by which the audience views the story being laid out[1]. The unreliable narrator is a storyteller who misleads, lies, or omits information, whether intentionally or unintentionally, often leading the reader to question the narrative [2].
In The Handmaid’s Tale, the authenticity of Offred’s story comes under question when it is being discussed at an academic conference centuries later. In Fight Club, we are just as confused about Tyler as the narrator is. And in Memento, we follow the journey of Leonard, who suffers from memory loss, thereby omitting information and context both for himself and the audience.
There are also innocent cases of unreliable narrators. In Forest Gump, we know that Forest’s innocence paints a quaint world view, downplaying the magnitude of the events in his extraordinary life. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck questions the moral implications of helping a runaway slave when the reader knows that slavery is immoral and Huck’s actions are morally good[3]. Even in Avatar, The Last Airbender, we are introduced to deep, heavy themes and events such as genocide and imperialism, but we are taken on a journey through the lens of our teen protagonists where the horrors and atrocities are presented in a tame manner.
This literary technique creates interest and conflict within the story and with us, the audience. Importantly, it highlights the subjective nature of storytelling. This is where it begins to apply to research.
Who is the Unreliable Narrator?
Humans are natural storytellers. One only needs to briefly examine human history both in the distant and recent past to see stories interwoven into our existence. We learn stories of historic founding figures, stories of mythological creatures roaming the world, and family stories from one generation to the next. Humans are subjective creatures who relay our view of the world through story providing both truth and fiction. We are an unreliable narrator.
What this means for research is that the people we study are inherently unreliable and are an inconclusive source of truth. What we gather from discussions, interviews, and observations are snapshots into one’s subjective view of the world. It can be difficult to fully understand an individual’s truth and experience. Usually, we can only catch pieces of the puzzle.
It is not to say that people and our users are intentionally unreliable. It is to highlight that numerous factors, both conscious and unconscious, influence the way we tell our perception of events. It is because human memory is flawed, so our narrative of experiences is also flawed.
Our brains are highly malleable, and so too are our memories. Memories are subject to distortion, suggestion, and exaggeration resulting in changes even when retelling the same event[4]. The way our brain processes and recalls information can vary depending on the type of information and memory. The very act of remembering certain things can make a memory temporarily malleable, where it can be strengthened, weakened, or even altered[5].
Biologically, our brains are hardwired to forget as much as they are to remember[6]. The process of forgetting helps the brain to generalize experience by forgetting some details and helps a person to deal with experiences of intense trauma and pain[7]. This explains why women may forget or downplay the intense pain of childbirth and why sexual assault victims have gaps in their memory[8]. Not to mention, physical trauma and illness can also cause memory loss.
For many social and design research projects, the aim is to understand the process and applications of different skills and practices. Many of the procedures we seek to understand come under nondeclarative memory, or implicit memory. These are memories that are unconsciously built up and can influence bodily responses[9]. Therefore, it can be easier to teach someone country capitals than how to ride a bike.
How does the Unreliable Narrator affect reliable research?
When conducting user research, we see this come into play when a user communicates a process or opinion we are studying. Many of us may know that just because a user says they will buy or use something does not always happen in real life. We also know that when talking about processes, verbally or orally, a user may miss steps, omit information, or even perform it differently from how they explained it. It does not mean they are intentionally misleading us. It demonstrates how we remember something versus what happened can be mismatched, especially when explaining something that is second nature[10].
Additionally, the very act of observing someone can lead the people we are observing to change their behavior as with the Hawthorne effect, where study participants may change behavior because they are being observed[11].
These flaws in our brain, memory, and behavior do not mean that accounts of events and feelings are false. The emotions and reasoning reveal our users’ world. It shows that we should not latch onto specific details and points as single sources of truth from our users. In this case, the unreliable nature of human storytelling highlights the need to take the input from our users with a critical eye and as a subjective truth.
Are researchers Unreliable Narrators?
However, we, researchers and observers, are also unreliable narrators. Like the people we study, we have our subjectivities, biases, and context in which we draw our understanding of the world. We communicate results through storytelling which can affect and change the original narrative.
Take the “Observer Effect” in quantum mechanics. The very act of observation changes the outcome challenging the very notion of an objective world- an observable world irrespective of us[12]. When studying people, we try to piece together a story and experience of someone else through our assumptions and experiences. We can change the experience, even minutely, from what the person originally perceived and experienced.
Communication comes from much more than the words we write and say. Communication is the activity around what we do, make, and work on when receiving information from others[13]. Communication is a combination of verbal and nonverbal elements, such as body language, the medium of communication, and vocal cues[14]. Cultural, historical, and societal influences may also affect the context in which the communicator and listener are immersed in.
There is a lot that may be missed or misinterpreted when we are conducting our research. However, a researcher conscious of their assumptions and bias can translate narratives and experiences across cultures and contexts. It helps us to become aware of the nuances amongst different groups as well as the unique aspects of each person’s experience.
What can we do?
Researchers can also be unreliable narrators. However, by becoming aware of our contextual influences, biases, and assumptions, we more accurately convey the narrative of those we study.
Firstly, we can focus on research where we do not use the products or services of an organization or community. This may sound counterintuitive, but by placing ourselves in a foreign environment we are less likely to bring along our own biases and assumptions. For instance, ethnographers tend to study cultural groups different than the one they are a part of, and some designers find it is easier to research enterprise solutions they never use than consumer services. It may be more challenging to pick subtle nuances, but we are more perceptive of unique cultural attributes.
Secondly, we need to validate what our users say. This is by supplementing our user studies with additional sources, such as market trends, statistics, and other similar studies. Also, it helps to have a large enough sample to investigate if separate individuals have the same experience. When conducting interviews, this arises when individuals start providing similar answers to the same questions.
Thirdly, we need to be open about our assumptions and limitations of a study. It provides transparency and allows for reflection. These limitations can even help spur future research initiatives. Importantly, it helps to highlight that the findings of one group do not reflect everyone. It can be done by reporting the size of the study, describing the demographics of the participants and the researcher, or highlighting any key influences that may have affected the study.
Research helps to show how similar we are, but also how unique we can be. Through the retelling of experience and stories, we may muddy the picture of someone’s unique experience, but we can work to reduce our fingerprints on it. Despite this, some of the best ways to learn about each other are by listening to their stories.
Interviews, diaries, observations, and the like are fantastic means of research. It is through various types of research that we have uncovered new insights into various groups of people and have been able to move design and our society forward. The use of the “Unreliable Narrator” brings to light research limitations along with biases, assumptions, and external influences. All of this is part of the human condition. By raising a critical eye to the stories conveyed by the people we study, it brings forth opportunities for further study. As we lay down our own biases and assumptions, it can help us relay a truer story.
The next time you look to inspiration do not forget about the realms of fiction and media. They provide portals into other worlds while showing a mirror to human conditions. These unreliable narrators take us on a journey through distant lands and the human psyche. At times this thrills us, and at other times, it challenges our perception of truth, objectivity, and what we know. This unreliability has us question the stories in front of us and the stories we tell. It brings us to the realization that when dealing with one another, subjectivity is likely to trump objectivity given our unique experiences and influences. In the end, we are all storytellers and narrators of the only topic we truly know, our own stories of the human condition.
References:
[1] https://www.pbs.org/video/unreliable-narrators-uhvzrw/
[2] https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-an-unreliable-narrator-4-ways-to-create-an-unreliable-narrator-in-writing
[3] https://www.pbs.org/video/unreliable-narrators-uhvzrw/
[4] https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/9/20/17879768/brett-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford-trump-memory-psychology
[5] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/human-memory/
[6] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02211-5
[7] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02211-5
[8] https://www.vox.com/2018/9/28/17914654/strikethrough-kavanaugh-accusers-christine-blasey-ford-memory
[9] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/human-memory/
[10] Don Norman. Psychology of Everyday Things.
[11] https://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/hawthorne-effect.asp
[12] http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170215-the-strange-link-between-the-human-mind-and-quantum-physics
[13] Page 6. https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/v35jrw4uhd4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PP1&dq=communication+more+than+words
[14] Chapter 1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Ka84FwgFcugC&oi=fnd&pg=PA13&dq=communication+more+than+words&ots=bqUDhS62C2&sig=mWeAXAsUyrt5rQ0ty5_8BqBkj0E#v=onepage&q=communication%20more%20than%20words&f=false
