2022-04-20 Design Meeting: Felienne Hermans, Psychology of Programming

Discover the psychology of programming, a field that explores human behavior and cognition when interacting with programming languages, and learn how research methods and design choices impact user experience and code quality.

Key takeaways
  • The psychology of programming is a field that aims to understand human behavior and cognition when interacting with programming languages.
  • There are different types of research methods, including quantitative and qualitative approaches.
  • Quantitative research involves collecting numerical data through experiments, surveys, or other methods.
  • Qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data through techniques such as interviews, focus groups, and open-ended questions.
  • Programming languages have different design choices and trade-offs that affect how users perceive and interact with them.
  • Code smells, anti-patterns, and design flaws can lead to errors and affect the maintenance of code.
  • Measuring programming language design and evaluating its impact on users is essential for evidence-based design.
  • Correlation and causation are important considerations in research.
  • The scientific method involves making observations, forming theories, and testing those theories through experimentation or data analysis.
  • Sampling bias and selection bias are common limitations in research.
  • In programming language design, it is important to consider the long-term implications of design choices and their potential impact on users.
  • The psychology of programming can inform programming language design by providing insights into how users think and interact with languages.
  • Different programming languages have different design goals and philosophies.
  • The design of programming languages can affect the creativity, productivity, and satisfaction of users.
  • The psychology of programming can help identify patterns and commonalities in human behavior and cognition related to programming.
  • Evidence-based design involves using data and research to inform programming language design decisions.
  • The psychology of programming can help identify design flaws and anti-patterns in programming languages.