An experimental study to investigate personality traits on pair programming efficiency in extreme programming

Human Factors should not be overlooked in software development project planning. While much emphasis is often laid on technical aspects of projects, attention is rarely given to the influence of team members' personality on project success. This study investigates the effects of personality traits on the efficiency of pair programming when programmers are at the same location compared to being at different locations. The personality test model used is the Myer-Briggs Indicator Type which comprises of four traits, namely: extraversion/ introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling and judging/perceiving. A series of experiments was conducted and preliminary findings indicate that depending on location, personality traits can have an effect on programmers' efficiency. Results presented in this paper are expected to inform project managers in planning for successful software development projects, which require pair programming.