Task Interruption in Software Development Projects: What Makes some Interruptions More Disruptive than Others?

Publikation: Beitrag in Buch/Bericht/Sammelwerk/KonferenzbandAufsatz in KonferenzbandForschungPeer-Review

Autoren

  • Zahra Shakeri Hossein Abad
  • Oliver Karras
  • Kurt Schneider
  • Ken Barker
  • Mike Bauer

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Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Titel des SammelwerksProceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering 2018, EASE 2018
Seiten122-132
Seitenumfang11
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 28 Juni 2018

Publikationsreihe

NameACM International Conference Proceeding Series
BandPart F137700

Abstract

Multitasking has always been an inherent part of software development and is known as the primary source of interruptions due to task switching in software development teams. Developing soffware involves a mix of analytical and creative work, and requires a significant load on brain functions, such as working memory and decision making. Of us, task switching in the context of software development imposes a cognitive load that causes software developers to lose focus and concentration while working thereby taking a toll on productivity. To investigate the disruptiveness of task switching and interruptions in software development projects, and to understand the reasons for and perceptions of the disruptiveness of task switching we used a mixed-methods approach including a longitudinal data analysis on 4,910 recorded tasks of 17 professional software developers, and a survey of 132 software developers. We found that, compared to task-specific factors (e.g. priority, level, and temporal stage), contextual factors such as interruption type (e.g. self/external), time of day, and task type and context are a more potent determinant of task switching disruptiveness in software development tasks. Furthermore, while most survey respondents believe external interruptions are more disruptive than self-interruptions, the results of our retrospective analysis reveals otherwise. We found that self-interruptions (i.e. voluntary task switchings) are more disruptive than external interruptions and have a negative effect on the performance of the interrupted tasks. Finally, we use the results of both studies to provide a set of comparative vulnerability and interaction patterns which can be used as a mean to guide decision-making and forecasting the consequences of task switching in software development teams.

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Task Interruption in Software Development Projects: What Makes some Interruptions More Disruptive than Others? / Abad, Zahra Shakeri Hossein; Karras, Oliver; Schneider, Kurt et al.
Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering 2018, EASE 2018. 2018. S. 122-132 3210471 (ACM International Conference Proceeding Series; Band Part F137700).

Publikation: Beitrag in Buch/Bericht/Sammelwerk/KonferenzbandAufsatz in KonferenzbandForschungPeer-Review

Abad, ZSH, Karras, O, Schneider, K, Barker, K & Bauer, M 2018, Task Interruption in Software Development Projects: What Makes some Interruptions More Disruptive than Others? in Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering 2018, EASE 2018., 3210471, ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, Bd. Part F137700, S. 122-132. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1805.05508, https://doi.org/10.1145/3210459.3210471
Abad, Z. S. H., Karras, O., Schneider, K., Barker, K., & Bauer, M. (2018). Task Interruption in Software Development Projects: What Makes some Interruptions More Disruptive than Others? In Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering 2018, EASE 2018 (S. 122-132). Artikel 3210471 (ACM International Conference Proceeding Series; Band Part F137700). https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1805.05508, https://doi.org/10.1145/3210459.3210471
Abad ZSH, Karras O, Schneider K, Barker K, Bauer M. Task Interruption in Software Development Projects: What Makes some Interruptions More Disruptive than Others? in Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering 2018, EASE 2018. 2018. S. 122-132. 3210471. (ACM International Conference Proceeding Series). doi: 10.48550/arXiv.1805.05508, 10.1145/3210459.3210471
Abad, Zahra Shakeri Hossein ; Karras, Oliver ; Schneider, Kurt et al. / Task Interruption in Software Development Projects: What Makes some Interruptions More Disruptive than Others?. Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering 2018, EASE 2018. 2018. S. 122-132 (ACM International Conference Proceeding Series).
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