Related Experiment Videos
Skilled performance on software as a function of domain expertise and program organization
1Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, USA.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|February 5, 1998
Summary
Skilled programmers recall more code than novices when programs are organized logically. Program structure significantly impacts memory recall for both skill levels.
Area of Science:
- Computer Science
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Understanding programmer expertise is crucial for optimizing software development.
- Program comprehension and recall are influenced by code organization and individual skill levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how program organization affects recall for skilled versus novice programmers.
- To compare perceptual and memory recall strategies based on programming expertise.
Main Methods:
- 23 subjects (skilled and novice programmers) viewed 25-line BASIC programs.
- Programs were organized in executable order, random chunks, or random lines.
- Perceptual task (recopying) and memory task (recall after 4-min exposure) were employed.
Main Results:
- Skilled programmers encoded more lines per glance and examined lines less than novices in executable or chunked orders.
- Skilled programmers recalled more lines than novices in executable or chunked orders, but not random lines.
Conclusions:
- Program organization significantly impacts recall, especially for skilled programmers.
- Findings suggest implications for designing more intuitive human-computer interfaces for programming tasks.