The Impact of Personality on Requirements Engineering Activities: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

Context

Requirements engineering (RE) is an important part of Software Engineering (SE), consisting of various human-centric activities that require the frequent collaboration of a variety of roles. Prior research has shown that personality is one such human aspect that has a huge impact on the success of a software project. However, a limited number of empirical studies exist focusing on the impact of personality on RE activities.

Objective

The objective of this study is to explore and identify the impact of personality on RE activities, provide a better understanding of these impacts, and provide guidance on how to better handle these impacts in RE.

Method

We used a mixed-methods approach, including a personality test-based survey (50 participants) and an in-depth interview study (15 participants) with software practitioners from around the world involved in RE activities.

Results

Through personality test analysis, we found a majority of the practitioners have a high score on agreeableness and conscientiousness traits and an average score on extraversion and neuroticism traits. Through analysis of the interviews, we found a range of impacts related to the personality traits of software practitioners, their team members, and external stakeholders. It was found that having extraversion characteristics is considered as plus points compared to agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience characteristics that have been stated as highly important to have when involved in RE activities. These impacts can vary depending on the RE activities, the overall software development process, and the people involved in these activities. Moreover, we found a set of strategies that can be helpful in overcoming some of the challenges associated with diverse personalities when involved in RE activities.

Conclusion

Our identified impacts of personality on RE activities and strategies serve to provide guidance to software practitioners on handling such possible personality impacts on RE activities and for researchers to investigate these impacts in greater depth in future.

Appendices

Appendix : Personality test based survey

Section 01: Demographic Information

• 1. How old are you?

• 2. How would you describe your gender? (Male/ Female/ Prefer to self-describe as:/ Prefer not to answer)

• 3. Country of your residence?

• 4. What is your highest educational qualification?

• 5. How many years have you been in the software industry?

• 6. Is eliciting/ analysing. prioritizing/ modelling/ managing software requirements a part of your job? (Yes/ No

• 7. How often do you elicit/ analyse/ prioritize/ manage software requirements as a part of your job?

  • Almost everyday/ -Couple of times a week/ -Couple of times a month/ -Couple of times a year (or very rarely)

• 8. What is your current job title/ job role?

• 9. Your current job responsibilities include: (please rate the following based on your involvement): close-ended question with the likert scale from “Never” to “Always”.

  • Collaborate with the stakeholders to elicit requirements

  • Documenting software requirements specifications according to standard templates

  • Lead requirements analysis and verification

  • Participate in requirements prioritization

  • Manage requirements throughout the project

• 10. Is there are any other job responsibilities that you involve in apart from the above list, please mention:

• 11. What types of domains* are you currently working on? Select all that apply. (Domains* - the subject area in which your current project belongs to)

  • Health/ -Education/ -Finance/ -Transports & logistics

  • Government services/ –Others (please specify);

• 12. What type of software development methods you have majorly involved in? (Please choose option(s) from below)

  • Traditional (Waterfall)/ -Agile (Please specify)/ -Other: (Please specify)

Section 02: Personality Assessment

• 1. This section contains phrases describing people’s behaviours. Please go through the instructions listed above before you rate the phrases. Please indicate to what extent each of the following statements applies to you. (Rate with the likert scale from “very inaccurate” to “very accurate”) - list of 120 statements can be found in Table 6.

  Table 6 Personality test statements

• 2. Do you think personality of the people involved in requirements engineering activities has an impact on it’s activities? (Yes/ No)

• 3. Please explain your above answer briefly:

• 4. Do you wish to receive your individual personality profile? (Yes/No)

• 5. If Yes, please enter your name and email address:

Appendix: Interview Schedule

Demographic Information

• Can you briefly tell me about yourself?

• Considering your experience; how many years of experience do you have in the software industry?

• How many years of experience you have in requirement engineering in these years?

• Can you think of a past or a current software engineering project where you were engaged in RE activities?

  • Can you please tell me very briefly about that project?

  • Were you developing a product or service?

  • What software development methods are/were you using?

  • What is the size and the composition of the team?

  • What is/was your role on the project?

  • What are RE-related activities were being performed on that project?

  • What was your involvement in those activities?

Views on the influence of personality in RE-related activities Explanation: Personality can be simply described as a set of individual differences including personal habits, skills, memories, behaviours and social relationships that can be affected by social and cultural development of individuals. There are various personality models that can be used to measure individual personality and the one you all have used is Five Factor Model- one of the most used models in this domain. There are five broad dimensions used in common language to describe human personality as follows. Openness to Experience: Someone who is high on openness to experience tends to appear as imaginative, broad-minded and curious whereas those at the opposite end of this spectrum prefer for routine and favouring conservative values Conscientiousness: People who are high in conscientiousness tend to be hardworking, organized, able to complete tasks thoroughly and on-time, and reliable. On the other hand, low conscientiousness relates to traits such as being irresponsible, impulsive and disordered Extraversion:A person is considered an extravert if he/she feels comfortable in a social relationship, friendly, assertive, active and outgoing Agreeableness: Refers to traits such as cooperativeness, kindness, trust and warms whereas people who are low on agreeableness tend to be sceptical, selfish and hostile Neuroticism: Refers to the state of emotional stability. Someone who is low on Neuroticism tends to appear calm, confident and secure, whereas a high neuroticism individual tends to be moody, anxious, nervous and insecure. Talking about an individual’s personality;

• Have you experienced a person’s personality having an effect or impact on how they approach requirements engineering?

  • If yes, can you share your experience?

  • If not, why do you think it does not have any impact?

• Can you think of a time where your own personality (or someone’s) positively influenced how they carried out RE activities?

  • Who else did it impact and how?

• Can you think of a time where your own personality (or someone’s) negatively influenced how they carried out RE activities?

  • Who else did it impact and how?

• Have you experienced your team members’ personality influencing how they carried out RE activities?

  • If yes, can you share your experience?

  • If not, why do you think it does not influence?

• Have you experienced your customer’s/ client’s personality impacting RE activities?

  • If yes, can you share your experience?

  • If not, why do you think it does not influence?

• Have you experienced combinations of different personality types impacting RE activities?

  • If yes, can you share your experience?

• How do you handle various personality differences within your team?

• In your experience, are there any other human aspects/ human-centric issues that have an impact on performing RE activities?

  • If yes, what are they?

  • How do they impact?

• Any final thoughts about the impact of personality on RE-related activities?

Appendix: Sample Personality Profile

IPIP-NEO Narrative Report -Personality Profile(Participant INT11)

$\underline{{\textbf {IPIP -NEO Narrative Report - Personality Profile}}}$  

NOTE: This report is sent to you upon your request, and it is analysed using the standard IPIP-NEO 120 Personality testing tool developed based on the standard Five-Factor Model (FFM) of Personality.

This report estimates the individual’s level on each of the five broad personality domains of the Five-Factor Model. The description of each one of the five broad domains is followed by a more detailed description of personality according to the six sub-domains/facets that comprise each domain.

A note on terminology – Personality traits describe relative to other people, the frequency or intensity of a person’s feelings, thoughts, or behaviours. Possession of a trait is therefore a matter of degree. We might describe two individuals as “extraverts”, but still see one as more extraverted than the other. This report uses expressions such as “extravert” or “high in extraversion” to describe someone who is likely to be seen by others as relatively extraverted. This report is generated based on the analysis of your answers to the personality test and classifies you as low, average, or high in a trait according to whether your score is approximately in the lowest 30

Please keep in mind that “low”, ‘average” and “high” scores on a personality test are neither absolutely good nor bad. A particular level on any trait will probably be neutral or irrelevant for a great many activities, be helpful for accomplishing some things and detrimental for accomplishing other things. As with any personality inventory/tool, scores and descriptions can only approximate an individual’s actual personality. High and low score descriptions are usually accurate, but average scores close to the low or high boundaries might misclassify you as only average. On each set of six sub-domain scales, it is somewhat uncommon but certainly possible to score high in some of the sub-domains and low in others. In such cases, more attention should be paid to the sub-domain scores than the broad domain score. Questions about the accuracy of your results are best resolved by showing your report to people who know you well.

Dr John A. Johnson, the founder of IPIP-NEO 120 personality inventory, wrote the description of the five domains and thirty subdomains. These descriptions are based on extensive reading of the scientific literature on personality measurement. Hence, we would like to acknowledge Dr John A. Johnson for finding and introducing this personality inventory to the public domain.

$\underline{{\textbf {Extraversion}}}$

Extraversion is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts enjoy being with people, are full of energy and often experience positive emotions. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented individuals who like to say “Yes!” or “let’s go!” to opportunities for excitement. In groups, they like to talk, assert themselves and draw attention to themselves.

Introverts lack the exuberance, energy, and activity levels of extroverts. They tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate and disengaged from the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness or depression. The introvert simply needs less stimulation than an extrovert and prefers to be alone. The independence and reserve of the introvert are sometimes mistaken as unfriendliness or arrogance. In reality, an introvert who scores high on the agreeableness dimension will not seek others out but will be quite pleasant when approached.

Your score on Extraversion is average, indicating you are neither a subdued loner nor a jovial chatterbox. You enjoy time with others, but also time alone.

Extraversion Facets:

• Friendliness (E1) - Friendly people genuinely like other people and openly demonstrate positive feelings toward others. They make friends quickly and it is easy for them to form close, intimate relationships. Low scorers on Friendliness are not necessarily cold and hostile, but they do not reach out to others and are perceived as distant and reserved. Your level of friendliness is high.

• Gregariousness (E2) - Gregarious people find the company of others pleasantly stimulating and rewarding. They enjoy the excitement of crowds. Low scorers tend to feel overwhelmed by, and therefore actively avoid large crowds. They do not necessarily dislike being with people sometimes, but their need for privacy and time to themselves is much greater than for individuals who score high on this scale. Your level of gregariousness is average.

• Assertiveness (E3) - High scorers’ assertiveness like to speak out, take charge and direct the activities of others. They tend to be leaders in groups. Low scorers tend not to talk much and let others control the activities of groups. Your level of assertiveness is high.

• Activity Level (E4) - Active individuals lead fast-paced, but lives. They move about quickly, energetically, and vigorously and they are involved in many activities. People who score low on this scale follow a slower and more leisurely, relaxed pace. Your activity level is high.

• Excitement-Seeking (E5) - High scorers on this scale are easily bored without high levels of stimulation. They love bright lights and hustle and bustle. They are likely to take risks and seek thrills. Low scorers are overwhelmed by noise and commotion and are averse to thrill-seeking. Your level of excitement-seeking is average.

• Cheerfulness (E6) - This scale measures positive mood and feelings, not negative emotions (which are a part of the Neuroticism domain). Persons who score high on this scale typically experience a range of positive feelings, including happiness enthusiasm, optimism, and joy. Low scorers are not as prone to such energetic, high spirits. Your level of positive emotions is high.

$\underline{{\textbf {Agreeableness}}}$

Agreeableness reflects individuals’ differences in concern with cooperation and social harmony. Agreeable individuals value getting along with others. They are therefore considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interest with others. Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.

Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally unconcerned with others’ well-being, and therefore are unlikely to extend themselves to other people. Sometimes their skepticism about others’ motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative.

Agreeableness is obviously advantageous for attaining and maintaining popularity. Agreeable people are better liked than disagreeable people. On the other hand, agreeableness is not useful in situations that require tough or absolute objective decisions. Disagreeable people can make excellent scientists, critics, or soldiers.

Your high level of agreeableness indicates a strong interest in others’ needs and well-being. You are pleasant, sympathetic, and cooperative.

Agreeableness Facets:

• Trust (A1) - A person with high trust assumes that most people are fair, honest, and have good intentions. Persons low in the trust see others as selfish, devious, and potentially dangerous. Your level of trust is high.

• Morality (A2) - High scorers on this scale see no need for pretence or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank, and sincere. Low scorers believe that a certain amount of deception in social relationships is necessary. People find it relatively easy to relate to the straightforward high scorers on this scale. They generally find it more difficult to relate to the unstraightforward low scorers on this scale. It should be made clear that low scorers are not unprincipled or immoral; they are simply more guarded and less willing to openly reveal the whole truth. Your level of morality is high.

• Altruism (A3) - Altruistic people find helping other people genuinely rewarding. Consequently. they are generally willing to assist those who are in need. Altruistic people find that doing things for others is a form of self-fulfilment rather than self-sacrifice. Low scorers on this scale do not particularly like helping those in need. Requests for help feel like an imposition rather than an opportunity for self-fulfilment. Your level of altruism is high.

• Cooperation (A4) - Individuals who score high on this scale dislike confrontations. They are perfectly willing to compromise or deny their own needs in order to get along with others. Those who score low on this scale are more likely to intimidate others to get their way. Your level of cooperation is high.

• Modesty (A5) - High scorers on this scale do not like to claim that they are better than other people. In some cases, this attitude may derive from low self-confidence or self-esteem. Nonetheless, some people with high self-esteem find immodesty unseemly. Those who are willing to describe themselves as superior tend to be seen as disagreeably arrogant by other people. Your level of modesty is high.

• Sympathy (A6) - People who score high on this scale are tender-hearted and compassionate. They feel the pain of others, vicariously and are easily moved to pity. Low scorers are not affected strongly by human suffering. They pride themselves on making objective judgments based on reason. They are more concerned with truth and impartial justice than with mercy. Your level of tendermindedness is high.

$\underline{{\textbf {Conscientiousness}}}$

Conscientiousness concerns the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses. Impulses are not inherently bad; occasionally time constraints require a snap decision and acting on our first impulse can be an effective response. Also, in times of play rather than work, acting spontaneously and impulsively can be fun. Impulsive individuals can be seen by others as colourful, fun-to-be-with, and zany.

Nonetheless, acting on impulse can lead to trouble in a number of ways. Some impulses are antisocial. Uncontrolled antisocial acts not only harm other members of society but also can result in retribution toward the perpetrator of such impulsive acts. Another problem with impulsive acts is that they often produce immediate rewards but undesirable, long-term consequences. Examples include excessive socializing that leads to being fired from one’s job, hurling an insult that causes the breakup of an important relationship or using pleasure-inducing drugs that eventually destroy one’s health.

Impulsive behaviour, even when not seriously destructive, diminishes a person’s effectiveness in significant ways. Acting impulsively disallows contemplating alternative courses of action, some of which would have been wiser than the impulsive choice. Impulsivity also side-tracks people during projects that require organized sequences of steps or stages. Accomplishments of an impulsive person are therefore small, scattered, and inconsistent.

A hallmark of intelligence, what potentially separates human beings from earlier life forms, is the ability to think about future consequences before acting on an impulse. Intelligent activity involves contemplation of long-range goals, organizing and planning routes to these goals, and persisting toward one’s goals in the face of short-lived impulses to the contrary. The idea that intelligence involves impulse control is nicely captured by the term prudence, an alternative label for the Conscientiousness domain. Prudent means both wise and cautious. Persons who score high on the Conscientiousness scale are, in fact, perceived by others as intelligent.

The benefits of high conscientiousness are obvious. Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve high levels of success through purposeful planning and persistence. They are also positively regarded by others as intelligent and reliable. On the negative side, they can be compulsive perfectionists and workaholics. Furthermore, extremely conscientious individuals might be regarded as stuffy and boring. Unconscientious people may be criticized for their unreliability, lack of ambition, and failure to stay within the lines, but they will experience many short-lived pleasures and they will never be called stuffy.

Your score on conscientiousness is high. This means you set clear goals and pursue them with determination. People regard you as reliable and hard-working.

Conscientiousness Facets:

• Self-Efficacy (C1) - Self-Efficacy describes confidence in one’s ability to accomplish things. High scorers believe they have the intelligence (common sense), drive, and self-control necessary for achieving success. Low scorers do not feel effective and may have a sense that they are not in control of their lives. Your level of self-efficacy is high.

• Orderliness (C2) - Persons with high scores on orderliness are well-organized. They like to live according to routines and schedules. They keep lists and make plans. Low scorers tend to be disorganized and scattered. Your level of orderliness is high.

• Dutifulness (C3) - This scale reflects the strength of a person’s sense of duty and obligation. Those who score high on this scale have a strong sense of moral obligation. Low scorers find contracts, rules, and regulations overly confining. They are likely to be seen as unreliable or even irresponsible. Your level of dutifulness is high.

• Achievement-Striving (C4) - Individuals who score high on this scale strive hard to achieve excellence. Their drive to be recognized as successful keeps them on track toward their lofty goals. They often have a strong sense of direction in life, but extremely high scores may be too single-minded and obsessed with their work. Low scorers are content to get by with a minimal amount of work and might be seen by others as lazy. Your level of achievement striving is high.

• Self-Discipline (C5) - Self-discipline-what many people call will-power-refers to the ability to persist at difficult or unpleasant tasks until they are completed. People who possess high self-discipline are able to overcome reluctance to begin tasks and stay on track despite distractions. Those with low self-discipline procrastinate and show poor follow-through, often failing to complete tasks-even tasks they want very much to complete. Your level of self-discipline is high.

• Cautiousness (C6) - Cautiousness describes the disposition to think through possibilities before acting. High scorers on the Cautiousness scale take their time when making decisions. Low scorers often say or do the first thing that comes to mind without deliberating alternatives and the probable consequences of those alternatives. Your level of cautiousness is high.

$\underline{{\textbf {Neuroticism}}}$

Neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings. Those who score high on Neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger, or depression., but are likely to experience several of these emotions. People high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally to events that would not affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can diminish a neurotic’s ability to think clearly, make decisions, and cope effectively with stress.

At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free from persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings; the frequency of positive emotions is a component of the Extraversion domain.

Your score on neuroticism is average, indicating that your level of emotional reactivity is typical of the general population. Stressful and frustrating situations are somewhat upsetting to you, but you are generally able to get over these feelings and cope with these situations.

Neuroticism Facets:

• Anxiety (N1) - The “fight-or-flight” system of the brain of anxious individuals is too easily and too often engaged. Therefore, people who are high in anxiety often feel like something dangerous is about to happen. They may be afraid of specific situations or be just generally fearful. They feel tense, jittery, and nervous. Persons low in Anxiety are generally calm and fearless. Your level of anxiety is average.

• Anger (N2) - Persons who score high in Anger feel enraged when things do not go their way. They are sensitive about being treated fairly and feel resentful and bitter when they feel they are being cheated. This scale measures the tendency to feel angry; whether or not the person expresses annoyance and hostility depends on the individual’s level of Agreeableness. Low scorers do not get angry often or easily. Your level of anger is average.

• Depression (N3) - This scale measures the tendency to feel sad, dejected, and discouraged. High scorers lack energy and have difficulty initiating activities. Low scorers tend to be free from these depressive feelings. Your level of depression is average.

• Self-Consciousness (N4) - Self-conscious individuals are sensitive about what others think of them. Their concern about rejection and ridicule causes them to feel shy and uncomfortable around others. They are easily embarrassed and often feel ashamed. Their fears that others will criticize or make fun of them are exaggerated and unrealistic, but their awkwardness and discomfort may make these fears a self-fulfilling prophecy. Low scorers, in contrast, do not suffer from the mistaken impression that everyone is watching and judging them. They do not feel nervous in social situations. Your level of self-consciousness is high.

• Immoderation (N5) - Immoderate individuals feel strong cravings and urge that they have difficulty resisting. They tend to be oriented toward short-term pleasures and rewards rather than long-term consequences. Low scorers do not experience strong, irresistible cravings and consequently do not find themselves tempted to overindulge. Your level of immoderation is average.

• Vulnerability (N6) - High scorers on Vulnerability experience panic, confusion, and helplessness when under pressure or stress. Low scorers feel more poised, confident, and clear-thinking when stressed. Your level of vulnerability is average.

$\underline{{\textbf {Openness to Experience}}}$

Openness to Experience describes a dimension of cognitive style that distinguishes imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. Open people are intellectually curious, appreciative of art and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to closed people, more aware of their feelings. They tend to think and act in individualistic and nonconforming ways. Intellectuals typically score high on Openness to Experience; consequently, this factor has also been called Culture or Intellect. Nonetheless, Intellect is probably best regarded as one aspect of openness to experience. Scores on Openness to Experience are only modestly related to years of education and scores on standard intelligent tests.

Another characteristic of the open cognitive style is a facility for thinking in symbols and abstractions far removed from concrete experience. Depending on the individual’s specific intellectual abilities, this symbolic cognition may take the form of mathematical, logical, or geometric thinking, artistic and metaphorical use of language, music composition or performance, or one of the many visual or performing arts. People with low scores on openness to experience tend to have narrow, common interests. They prefer the plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex., ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and sciences with suspicion regarding these endeavours as abstruse or of no practical use. Closed people prefer familiarity over novelty; they are conservative and resistant to change.

Openness is often presented as healthier or more mature by psychologists, who are often themselves open to experience. However, open, and closed styles of thinking are useful in different environments. The intellectual style of the open person may serve a professor well, but research has shown that closed thinking is related to superior job performance in police work, sales, and a number of service occupations.

Your score on Openness to Experience is high, indicating you enjoy novelty, variety, and change. You are curious, imaginative, and creative.

Openness Facets:

• Imagination (O) - To imaginative individuals, the real world is often too plain and ordinary. High scorers on this scale use fantasy as a way of creating a richer, more interesting world. Low scorers on this scale are more oriented to facts than fantasy. Your level of imagination is average.

• Artistic Interests (O2) - High scorers on this scale love beauty. both in art and in nature. They become easily involved and absorbed in artistic and natural events. They are not necessarily artistically trained nor talented, although many will be. The defining features of this scale are interest in, and appreciation of natural and artificial beauty. Low scorers lack aesthetic sensitivity and interest in the arts. Your level of artistic interest is high.

• Emotionality (O3) - Persons high on Emotionality have good access to and awareness of their own feelings. Low scorers are less aware of their feelings and tend not to express their emotions openly. Your level of emotionality is high.

• Adventurousness (O4) - High scorers on adventurousness are eager to try new activities, travel to foreign lands, and experience different things. They find familiarity and routine boring and will take a new route home just because it is different. Low scorers tend to feel uncomfortable with change and prefer familiar routines. Your level of adventurousness is average.

• Intellect (O5) - Intellect and artistic interests are the two most important, central aspects of openness to experience. High scorers on Intellect love to play with ideas. They are open-minded to new and unusual ideas and like to debate intellectual issues. They enjoy riddles, puzzles, and brain teasers. Low scorers on Intellect prefer dealing with either people or things rather than ideas. They regard intellectual exercises as a waste of time. Intellect should not be equated with intelligence. Intellect is an intellectual style, not an intellectual ability, although high scorers on Intellect score slightly higher than low-Intellect individuals on standardized intelligence tests. Your level of intellect is high.

• Liberalism (O6) - Psychological liberalism refers to a readiness to challenge authority. convention, and traditional values. In its most extreme form. psychological liberalism can even represent outright hostility toward rules, sympathy for lawbreakers, and a love of ambiguity, chaos, and disorder. Psychological conservatives prefer the security and stability brought by conformity to tradition. Psychological liberalism and conservatism are not identical to political affiliation, but certainly, incline individuals toward certain political parties. Your level of liberalism is high.