Using Data Mining to Investigate the Effect of Cognitive Style on Programming Habits

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematical Science, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.

2 Department of Engineering, Payame Noor University (PNU), P.O.Box 19395-4697, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Different programmers code in different ways. Knowing these habits and the human factors that affect them significantly impacts teaching and task assignments in programming. This article examines the effect of cognitive style on programming habits. We used a questionnaire to obtain data on cognitive style, programming experience, programming skill, interest in programming, and programming habits from 275 student programmers. After preprocessing and feature selection, we evaluated the effectiveness of different data mining techniques in estimating programming habits. Using the Support Vector Machine, the most effective method, we predicted each programming habit once without cognitive style and the second time with cognitive style. The results showed that cognitive style affects the programming habit of "systematic debugging" with Glass's Delta value = 0.22. Programmers with a median score in cognitive style, both analytic and Intuitive, more often debug their codes systematically than programmers with lower or higher scores in cognitive style. Thus assigning programmers with both Intuitive and analytic talent would be more effective when projects need systematic debugging. Moreover, trainers should pay more attention to only Intuitive or only analytical students when teaching systematic debugging. We recommend teachers, trainers, and managers consider cognitive style in programming.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Computing and Security
Volume 9, Issue 2
July 2022
Pages 11-22

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History

  • Receive Date: 28 August 2022
  • Revise Date: 25 October 2022
  • Accept Date: 14 September 2022

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