Emotions in the software development process
Michal R. Wrobel
This site provides additional data to the paper to be presented at the 6th International Conference on Human System Interaction,June 06-08 2013 in Gdansk, Poland and to be published in the IEEE Xplore Digital Library.
Abstract This paper presents the results of a survey on experience of emotions in the work of software developers. Quantitative analysis revealed information about emotions affecting
programmers, their frequency and impact on performance.
Concept of emotional risk to productivity was also presented.
It allows to choose these emotional states, which should be
avoided. Furthermore all collected data were analyzed with
information about the experience of developers. In addition to
most hazardous emotions, there were selected those with the
most positive impact on the productivity.
Citations
Wrobel, M. R. (2013). Emotions in the software development process. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Human System Interaction
Preprint
Emotions in the software development process (PDF)Resources
Raw data file: survey_results_raw.ods
Question 2. How often do you experience these emotional states when developing computer programs?
(0 - never, 1 - rarely, 5 - almost always)
| Mean | Median | Standard deviation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 2,78 | 3 | 1,35808 |
| Enthusiastic | 3,18 | 3 | 1,13051 |
| Pleased | 3,29 | 3 | 1,02062 |
| Optimistic | 3,14 | 4 | 1,45773 |
| Enjoying | 2,78 | 3 | 1,34265 |
| Content | 3,24 | 3 | 1,21673 |
| Unhappy | 1,67 | 2 | 1,35995 |
| Frustrated | 2,80 | 3 | 1,27442 |
| Disgusted | 2,02 | 2 | 1,43599 |
| Disappointed | 2,04 | 2 | 1,36868 |
| Angry | 2,35 | 2 | 1,40758 |
| Depressed | 1,53 | 1 | 1,40092 |
Distribution of responses
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 5 | 4 | 6 | 19 | 12 | 3 |
| Enthusiastic | 1 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 17 | 4 |
| Pleased | 2 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 13 | 5 |
| Optimistic | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 19 | 6 |
| Enjoying | 6 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 13 | 2 |
| Content | 4 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 19 | 4 |
| Unhappy | 14 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| Frustrated | 2 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 5 |
| Disgusted | 10 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 1 |
| Disappointed | 8 | 9 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 1 |
| Angry | 5 | 9 | 15 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
| Depressed | 16 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
Survey results and the experience of the respondents
More then 9 years
| Mean | Median | Std. Dev. | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 2,333 | 3 | 1,871 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Enthusiastic | 3,333 | 4 | 1,225 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Pleased | 3,556 | 3 | 0,726 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Optimistic | 3,556 | 4 | 1,509 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Enjoying | 2,778 | 3 | 1,716 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Content | 3,778 | 4 | 0,667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| Unhappy | 1,111 | 0 | 1,364 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Frustrated | 2,444 | 2 | 0,882 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Disgusted | 1,889 | 2 | 0,928 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Disappointed | 1,778 | 2 | 1,093 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Angry | 1,778 | 2 | 1,202 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Depressed | 1,111 | 0 | 1,364 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Between 5 and 8 years
| Mean | Median | Std. Dev. | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 3,214 | 3,5 | 1,122 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| Enthusiastic | 3,500 | 4 | 1,019 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| Pleased | 3,429 | 4 | 1,158 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| Optimistic | 3,714 | 4 | 1,383 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Enjoying | 3,214 | 4 | 1,251 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| Content | 3,643 | 4 | 1,216 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| Unhappy | 1,714 | 2 | 1,139 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Frustrated | 2,571 | 2,5 | 1,453 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Disgusted | 2,143 | 2 | 1,610 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Disappointed | 2,143 | 2 | 1,460 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Angry | 2,571 | 2 | 1,604 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Depressed | 1,929 | 2 | 1,385 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
More than 5 years
| Mean | Median | Std. Dev. | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 2,870 | 3 | 1,486 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| Enthusiastic | 3,435 | 4 | 1,080 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
| Pleased | 3,478 | 4 | 0,994 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 2 |
| Optimistic | 3,652 | 4 | 1,402 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 6 |
| Enjoying | 3,043 | 3 | 1,430 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 1 |
| Content | 3,696 | 4 | 1,020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 3 |
| Unhappy | 1,478 | 2 | 1,238 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Frustrated | 2,522 | 2 | 1,238 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| Disgusted | 2,043 | 2 | 1,364 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Disappointed | 2,000 | 2 | 1,314 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Angry | 2,261 | 2 | 1,484 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Depressed | 1,609 | 2 | 1,406 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
Less than 4 years
| Mean | Median | Std. Dev. | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 2,692 | 3 | 1,258 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| Enthusiastic | 2,962 | 3 | 1,148 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 2 |
| Pleased | 3,115 | 3 | 1,033 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 3 |
| Optimistic | 2,692 | 3 | 1,379 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| Enjoying | 2,538 | 3 | 1,240 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| Content | 2,846 | 3 | 1,255 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 1 |
| Unhappy | 1,846 | 2 | 1,461 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Frustrated | 3,038 | 3 | 1,280 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| Disgusted | 2,000 | 2 | 1,523 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Disappointed | 2,077 | 2 | 1,440 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| Angry | 2,423 | 2 | 1,362 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| Depressed | 1,462 | 1 | 1,421 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Question 3. What impact have these emotional states on the effectiveness of your work?
(-2 - very negative, 0 - neutral, 2 - very positive)
| Mean | Median | Std. Dev. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 1,386 | 2 | 0,784 |
| Enthusiastic | 1,604 | 2 | 0,574 |
| Pleased | 1,383 | 1 | 0,677 |
| Optimistic | 1,349 | 1 | 0,686 |
| Enjoying | 1,186 | 1 | 0,824 |
| Content | 1,045 | 1 | 0,776 |
| Unhappy | -1,083 | -1 | 0,906 |
| Frustrated | -1,152 | -1 | 0,965 |
| Disgusted | -1,359 | -2 | 0,903 |
| Disappointed | -1,098 | -1 | 0,944 |
| Angry | -0,886 | -1 | 1,280 |
| Depressed | -1,364 | -2 | 0,929 |
Distribution of responses
| -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 0 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 23 |
| Enthusiastic | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 31 |
| Pleased | 0 | 0 | 5 | 19 | 23 |
| Optimistic | 0 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 20 |
| Enjoying | 0 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 18 |
| Content | 0 | 0 | 12 | 18 | 14 |
| Unhappy | 14 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Frustrated | 21 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| Disgusted | 23 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Disappointed | 18 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Angry | 19 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| Depressed | 19 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Survey results and the experience of the respondents
More then 9 years
| Mean | Median | Std. Dev. | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 2,000 | 2,000 | 0,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Enthusiastic | 1,778 | 2,000 | 0,441 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Pleased | 1,667 | 2,000 | 0,707 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Optimistic | 1,875 | 2,000 | 0,354 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Enjoying | 1,857 | 2,000 | 0,378 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Content | 1,667 | 2,000 | 0,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Unhappy | -2,000 | -2,000 | 0,000 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frustrated | -1,625 | -2,000 | 0,744 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Disgusted | -1,625 | -2,000 | 0,744 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Disappointed | -1,286 | -2,000 | 0,951 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Angry | -1,125 | -1,500 | 1,126 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Depressed | -2,000 | -2,000 | 0,000 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Between 5 and 8 years
| Mean | Median | Std. Dev. | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 1,692 | 2 | 0,480 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Enthusiastic | 1,786 | 2 | 0,426 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 |
| Pleased | 1,615 | 2 | 0,506 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| Optimistic | 1,615 | 2 | 0,650 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| Enjoying | 1,385 | 2 | 0,870 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| Content | 1,077 | 1 | 0,862 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Unhappy | -1,083 | -1 | 0,793 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Frustrated | -0,923 | -1 | 1,188 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Disgusted | -1,333 | -2 | 1,073 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Disappointed | -1,250 | -1,5 | 0,866 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Angry | -0,846 | -1 | 1,345 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Depressed | -1,583 | -2 | 0,669 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
More then 5 years
| Mean | Median | Std. Dev. | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 1,789 | 2 | 0,419 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 |
| Enthusiastic | 1,783 | 2 | 0,422 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 18 |
| Pleased | 1,636 | 2 | 0,581 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 15 |
| Optimistic | 1,714 | 2 | 0,561 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 16 |
| Enjoying | 1,550 | 2 | 0,759 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| Content | 1,318 | 1,5 | 0,780 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| Unhappy | -1,313 | -1,5 | 0,793 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Frustrated | -1,190 | -2 | 1,078 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Disgusted | -1,450 | -2 | 0,945 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Disappointed | -1,263 | -2 | 0,872 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Angry | -0,952 | -1 | 1,244 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Depressed | -1,688 | -2 | 0,602 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Less then 4 years
| Mean | Median | Std. Dev. | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 1,080 | 1 | 0,862 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 8 |
| Enthusiastic | 1,440 | 2 | 0,651 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 13 |
| Pleased | 1,160 | 1 | 0,688 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 8 |
| Optimistic | 1,000 | 1 | 0,617 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 4 |
| Enjoying | 0,870 | 1 | 0,757 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 4 |
| Content | 0,773 | 1 | 0,685 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 3 |
| Unhappy | -0,900 | -1 | 0,968 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Frustrated | -1,120 | -1 | 0,881 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Disgusted | -1,263 | -1 | 0,872 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Disappointed | -0,955 | -1 | 0,999 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Angry | -0,826 | -1 | 1,337 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Depressed | -1,059 | -1 | 1,088 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Summary
| Q2 | Q3 | Q2*Q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | 2,776 | 1,386 | 3,848 |
| Enthusiastic | 3,184 | 1,604 | 5,107 |
| Pleased | 3,286 | 1,383 | 4,544 |
| Optimistic | 3,143 | 1,349 | 4,239 |
| Enjoying | 2,776 | 1,186 | 3,292 |
| Content | 3,245 | 1,045 | 3,392 |
| Unhappy | 1,673 | -1,083 | -1,813 |
| Frustrated | 2,796 | -1,152 | -3,221 |
| Disgusted | 2,020 | -1,359 | -2,746 |
| Disappointed | 2,041 | -1,098 | -2,240 |
| Angry | 2,347 | -0,886 | -2,080 |
| Depressed | 1,531 | -1,364 | -2,087 |