In what context is black box testing typically used?

Black box testing is a methodology primarily focused on assessing the functionality of an application from the end-user's perspective, without any knowledge of the internal workings or code of the system. This approach allows testers to evaluate what the software does and how it behaves in terms of user interactions and expected outputs. Testers utilize black box testing to verify that the software meets requirements and works as intended under various scenarios, which is crucial for ensuring that the end-user experience is satisfactory.

In contrast, the other options delve into different aspects of software evaluation. Reviewing and analyzing source code involves understanding how the software is built and operates internally, which is not within the black box testing realm. Similarly, examining system architecture pertains to understanding the structural design of the software, and conducting performance benchmarking focuses on assessing the speed and efficiency of the system under load. These practices are more aligned with white box testing or other specialized testing approaches rather than the user-centered approach of black box testing.