This study investigated the role of personality traits in software implementation tasks among computer science students. Specifically, it examined whether traits like openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism correlated with student developers' productivity and the internal quality of Java programs they implemented. The researchers had 30 CS students complete a personality questionnaire and implement a bowling scorekeeper app in Java. While they found no significant correlations between traits and productivity, some traits like conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism did correlate with the quality of the implemented software.

1. On the Role of Personality Traits in
Implementation Tasks: A Preliminary
Investigation with Students
Simone Romano, Giuseppe Scanniello, and Pancrazio Dionisio

2. "software engineering"
coined in the late 60s by Margaret Hamilton

3. Software engineering definition is still being
debated as they struggle to come up with ways to
produce software that is cheaper, better, faster.

5. What is software??

7. Is there a difference between
computer and hardware?

8. Hardware includes
the physical parts of
a computer

9. So what?

10. … peopleware??

11. Peopleware refers to
one of the three
aspects of computer
technology—the other
two aspects that are:
hardware and software

12. Peopleware refers to
anything that has to do with
the role of human beings in
the development of a
software

13. Peopleware is
clearly of interest
because the human
factor in software
development is of
primary importance

14. - The human component is an essential part of design and
development
- Development is based on creativity and the ingenuity of
people
- The effectiveness of tools and approaches strongly
depends on the human component
- Software engineering presents many similarities with
social sciences and psychology

15. People sometimes
struggle to remember
that we’re dealing with
creatures of logic and
emotions, not just ones
and zeros

16. Software engineering (and development)
is essentially a human activity, NOT just a
technical matter of technology

17. As many software managers can attest, major failures in
software projects eventually come down to people.
The study of human factors in software engineering will
offer different insights and fresh approaches to answering
many open questions
Diversity of people and ideas are good for our field

18. “Because of the
complex nature of the
programming task, the
programmer ’s
personality—his
individuality and
identity—are far more
important factors in his
success than is usually
recognized.”

19. “Personality variables
play a critical role in
determining interaction
among programmers
and in the work style of
individual
programmers.”

20. Only a few studies on the effect
of personality on software
engineering tasks
The data extracted from 90
studies indicated that pair
programming and team
building were among the most
recurring research topics
The influence of developers’
personality on individual
performance less studied

21. - Five-Factor Model
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
- Keirsey Temperament Sorter

22. Five-Factor Model or Big Five
Personality Model

23. Analyze personality traits (i.e., openness, conscientious- ness,
extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) for the purpose of
studying their correlation with respect to developers’ productivity
and the internal quality of developed programs from the point of
view of researchers and practitioners in the context of
undergraduate students in CS and implementation tasks in Java.

24. RQ1: Are personality traits
correlated with the
productivity of developers
when implementing Java
programs?
RQ2: Are personality traits
correlated with the internal
quality of Java programs
developers implement?

25. • Participants: 30 (last-year) bachelor students in
Computer Science @UniBas
• IPIP-NEO-120 questionnaire to measure
personality traits
• Bowling Score Keeper

27. We could not show that personality traits are
significantly correlated with the productivity
of developers when implementing Java
programs

28. Some personality traits (i.e., conscientiousness,
extraversion, and neuroticism) are significantly
correlated with software quality