Exploring the Relationship of Personality Domains and Visual Attention Patterns in Novice Programmers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58459/icce.2024.4856Abstract
Researchers have long studied how novice programmers interpret compiler error messages during debugging. This study investigates the link between personalities and visual attention patterns. We measured traits using the Big Five Personality Test (John and Soto, 2017) and eye-tracking data from 63 participants at two Philippine universities. They located bugs in five programs with syntax errors, each 15 to 35 lines long, using constructs from the first 6 to 8 weeks of a programming course. Each program had one syntax error, either literal or non-literal. Participants viewed images of the programs and error messages, marking errors with a custom viewer. We found that students with high agreeableness and conscientiousness showed minimal attention to compiler error messages and error lines, respectively. The lack of correlation between these traits and performance scores makes it uncertain if these students with high agreeableness and high conscientiousness are also high performers. This study suggests educators might develop strategies potentially leveraging agreeableness and conscientiousness, such as collaborative learning. Future work will investigate run time errors, analyze patterns, and create strategies to help novices address them effectively.