Valovy Marcel, Buchalcevova Alena
Department of Information Technology, University of Economics Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
PeerJ Comput Sci. 2025 Apr 1;11:e2774. doi: 10.7717/peerj-cs.2774. eCollection 2025.
This study explores whether personality-based role assignments (Pilot, Navigator, Solo) can raise intrinsic motivation in pair programming, focusing on designing a framework and process extension for the resource-constrained environment of very small entities (VSEs).
We employed a mixed-methods design across three quasi-experimental datasets ( = 73 participants), applying linear mixed-effects (LME) modeling to assess motivational outcomes and thematically analyzing ( = 25) interviews for socio-psychological insights.
Openness strongly correlates with Pilot roles; Extraversion & Agreeableness favor Navigator roles; and Neuroticism aligns more comfortably with Solo roles-each yielding substantial boosts in intrinsic motivation (up to 60-65%). Twelve qualitative themes underscore the influence of mentorship, pairing constellations, and flow disruptions on developer experiences.
Building on these results, we propose the role-optimization motivation alignment (ROMA) framework, mapped to the ISO/IEC 29110 Software Basic Profile and Agile Guidelines, with practical tasks (T1-T7) to facilitate systematic role-trait alignments in small agile teams. Although our data primarily involve Gen-Z undergraduates, the recurring patterns suggest broader applicability, further supported by a separately published application for ongoing generalizability.
Personality-driven role optimization may significantly enhance collaboration and developer satisfaction in VSEs, though further studies in professional settings and investigations into AI-assisted or distributed pair programming are warranted.
本研究探讨基于个性的角色分配（飞行员、导航员、单独工作者）能否提高结对编程中的内在动机，重点是为超小型实体（VSE）资源受限的环境设计一个框架和流程扩展。
我们在三个准实验数据集（n = 73名参与者）上采用了混合方法设计，应用线性混合效应（LME）模型来评估动机结果，并对25次访谈进行主题分析以获得社会心理见解。
开放性与飞行员角色密切相关；外向性和宜人性有利于导航员角色；神经质与单独工作者角色更匹配——每种情况都能大幅提高内在动机（高达60 - 65%）。十二个定性主题强调了指导、结对组合和流程中断对开发者体验的影响。
基于这些结果，我们提出了角色优化动机匹配（ROMA）框架，该框架映射到ISO/IEC 29110软件基本概况和敏捷指南，并配有实际任务（T1 - T7），以促进小型敏捷团队中系统的角色 - 特质匹配。尽管我们的数据主要涉及Z世代本科生，但反复出现的模式表明其具有更广泛的适用性，另一篇单独发表的关于持续可推广性的应用文章进一步支持了这一点。
个性驱动的角色优化可能会显著提高VSE中的协作和开发者满意度，不过仍需在专业环境中进行进一步研究，并对人工智能辅助或分布式结对编程进行调查。
