Final answer:
In software development, testing objectives include finding and preventing defects and gaining confidence in a product's quality. Debugging is not an objective but rather a response to the outcome of testing. Therefore, the correct option that is not a testing objective is 'D. Debugging defects'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is concerned with the objectives of testing in a software or product development setting. When developing a product, several stages of testing are involved to ensure that the product meets certain quality standards.
One of these stages is to find defects, which is an integral part of testing. By identifying defects early, developers can correct issues before they become major problems. Another objective is gaining confidence about the product's quality level by providing information on its performance and any potential issues. This helps stakeholders make informed decisions about the product's readiness.
Moreover, another testing objective can be preventing defects, which encompasses activities that aim at reducing the number of defects introduced into the code. This could involve practices like code reviews or using development methodologies that emphasize quality, such as Test-Driven Development (TDD). Lastly, while debugging defects is a related activity, it is not an objective of testing in and of itself; rather, it is a process carried out by developers to fix the defects that have been found during testing.
Examining the provided reference information, none of the listed options align perfectly, but they all hint at processes related to evaluating and improving the quality of a product. The act of debugging is more of a response to the outcome of testing, rather than an objective of testing. Hence, the correct option that is not a testing objective as per the question would be D. Debugging defects.