1. A Controlled Experiment to Evaluate the
Effects of Mindfulness in Software
Engineering (SE)
Beatriz Bernárdez, Amador Durán,
José A. Parejo & Antonio Ruiz-Cortés
(University of Seville)
1

2. Index of contents
• Goal
• Mindfulness
• Experiment description
• Analysis of results
• Threats to validity
• Conclusions and future works
2

3. Goal
To present a controlled experiment carried out for
evaluating the effects of mindfulness in:
• quality
• performance
of conceptual models developed by our students.
3
• Is good practicing mindfulness for software engineers?

4. Mindfulness: at the begining
– Movement began in the 60/70 in the USA.
– Young people, looking for something new, went to
India attracted by the Eastern philosophy.
4

5. – Jon Kabat--Zinn (biologist at a hospital in Massachusetts)
began using Mindfulness to patients with chronic
diseases.
– He developed MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress
Reduction)
– Germer & Siegel (psychologists) in Boston studied the
effects of mindfulness.
5
Mindfulness: at the begining

6. Formal mindfulness*
Meditation
• A mental exercise of deep contemplation, accompanied by:
– Silence
– Relaxation
– Breath control
"Positive Psychology Therapies", Antoni Adsera. 3 Temes Publishers. 9th Edition, 2012.
6

7. Formal mindfulness
Step by step
7
Step What to do
1 Sit up right.
2 If there is a limit in time, set an alarm.
3 Focus on various parts of your body in a
conscious way.
4 Take three slow, deep breaths.
5 Begin to breathe normally, but with your
focus on your breathing.
6 If thought comes, you experience it and
gently let it go.
7 Enjoy this mental state.
8 Return to contact with external reality.

8. Informal mindfulness
8
* Source: http://www.recursosdeautoayuda.com/
*

9. Informal mindfulness
9*Vicente Simón. Course of Mindfulness. Seville, 2013 October.
Calm the mind
See with clearness
Make the right decision

10. What is going to happen?
– Mindfulness is now subject of scientific studies.
10

11. Why Mindfulness?
• Neurological
– It diminishes the activity of DMN (Default Mode
Network).
– It increases the activity of left hemisphere (positive
thoughts)
– It develops a new Default Network, with greater self-
awareness and a tendency to daydream less.
11

12. Why Mindfulness?
• Cognitive
– Working memory capacity
– Creativity
– Awareness
– Reduction of mind
wandering
• Affective
– Compassion
– Empathy
– Assertiveness
– Emotional intelligence
– … 12

13. Why Software Engineers?
13
“Computer science should be more
directly devoted to making the world a
better place. ”
B.Shneiderman
• Because…
– In 1980, the concept
Software Psychology
appeared in term of “the
study of human
performance in using
computer and
information systems”

14. Why Software Engineers?
• Because…
– They are generally introverts and very technical.
– They need to empathize with clients’ needs (social
interaction).
14

15. Why conceptual modelling?
• Because
– It’s a difficult task for our students.
– Mental clearness is necessary.
– Measuring conceptual modelling is less subjective than
measuring requirements.
15

16. Experiment description (GQM)
Analyze the practice of mindfulness
For the purpose of evaluating its effects
With respect to the performance of students developing
conceptual modelling, and the quality of the developed
models
From the point of view of the experimenters
In the context of sophomore of the degree in SE
(Introduction to Software Engineering & Information
Systems, ISEIS) at the University of Seville.
16

17. Pre– exercise
(ERASMUS)
Intuitive-Idea Experiment
17
Post– exercise
(End of Degree Project)
Cross– Training
/ four weeks
Group 2: Public Speaking
Group 1: Mindfulness

18. Variables
x1,..,xn y1,..,ymExperimental process
•Cross-Training
•Effectiveness
•Efficiency
•Pre/Post Exercise
Two levels:
Pre: ERASMUS
Post: EoDP
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Students advanced
in SE knowledge
Two levels:
Mindfulness
Public Speaking

19. Dependent Variables
• Dependent variables
– Effectiveness measured as:
– Efficiency measured as:
N
Time
19

20. Experimental Design
As consequence… 2x2 mixed factorial design
Cross-training
Mindfulness Public Speaking
Exercise Pre (ERASMUS) G1 G2
Post (EoDP) G1 G2
20

21. Experimental Design*
N O X O
N O O
N: Nonrandom, O: Observation, X: Treatment
*D. T. Campbell and S. Julian. Experimental and Quasi–Experimental Designs for Research. Wadsworth, United States, 1963.
21

22. Experiment planning
22
T

23. Analysis of effectiveness
23
1,0
0,8
0,6
0,4
0,2
0,0
G1 (Mindfulness) G2 (Public Speaking)
Effectiveness (Pre-Exercise)
Effectiveness (Post-Exercise)
8

24. Analysis of effectiveness
24
,700
,650
,600
,550
,500
,450
,400
Pre-Exercise
(ERASMUS)
Post-Exercise
(EoDP)
Mindfulness (G1)
Public Speaking (G2)
Cross-Training

25. Analysis of effectiveness
ANOVA for mixed—factorial design
25

26. Analysis of efficiency
26
1,0
0,8
0,6
0,4
0,2
0,0
G1 (Mindfulness) G2 (Public Speaking)
10
11
10
31
8
Efficiency (Pre-Exercise)
Efficiency (Post-Exercise)

27. Analysis of efficiency
27
Pre-Exercise
(ERASMUS)
Post-Exercise
(EoDP)
Mindfulness (G1)
Public Speaking (G2)
Cross-Training
,400
,200
,300
,500

28. Analysis of efficiency
ANOVA for mixed—factorial design
28

29. Threats to validity
• Conclusion
– The size of the sample
• Internal
– Maturation -> Knowledge in SE
– Selection -> Non random assignment
• Construct
• External
– Materials
– Subjects
29

30. Conclusions
• Mindfulness students obtained similar results in less time.
• The number of mindfulness sessions could have been
increased.
• The practice of mindfulness was very interesting for our
students.
• Random assignment could be considered in future
replications.
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31. Future work
• Several replications of experiment
• Change the object of experiment
– Technological problems
– Elicitation/negotiation requirements
• Develop a grown—personal program based on mindfulness
to software organizations.
31

32. *
Thank you very much,
32* Words cloud generated using the text of the paper by http://www.wordle.net developed by Jonathan Feinberg