A Study on the Mental Models of Users Concerning Existing Software

Publikation: Beitrag in Buch/Bericht/Sammelwerk/KonferenzbandAufsatz in KonferenzbandForschungPeer-Review

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  • Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
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OriginalspracheEnglisch
Titel des SammelwerksRequirements Engineering
UntertitelFoundation for Software Quality - 28th International Working Conference, Proceedings
Herausgeber/-innenVincenzo Gervasi, Andreas Vogelsang
Kapitel13216
Seiten235-250
Seitenumfang16
ISBN (elektronisch)978-3-030-98464-9
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 9 März 2022

Publikationsreihe

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Band13216 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (elektronisch)1611-3349

Abstract

Context and Motivation: Software users describe requirements for new software and give feedback to existing software. Both are well studied in requirements engineering research. However, both are also heavily influenced by the users’ comprehension of existing software. We do not know which aspects of software users have in mind when they talk about it. While their mental model is interesting in itself, knowing this mental model could be helpful both, during requirements elicitation and validation-whenever user statements need to be understood.

Problem: There is no standard methodology to study mental models and existing mental model studies mostly focus on specific elements of a specific software.

Principal results: We have asked students to describe and draw a certain software. We coded the answers to understand the abstraction levels and the software aspects mentioned. We also analyzed differences. Our results showed a strong focus on the interaction and domain level. The users’ drawings primarily represented the user interface. We found only small differences between participants with a computer science background compared to those without one.

Contribution: This paper presents initial insights on the software aspects in the mental model of users concerning existing software. It also describes our method to study this model and ideas for future studies.

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A Study on the Mental Models of Users Concerning Existing Software. / Anders, Michael; Obaidi, Martin; Paech, Barbara et al.
Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality - 28th International Working Conference, Proceedings. Hrsg. / Vincenzo Gervasi; Andreas Vogelsang. 2022. S. 235-250 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Band 13216 LNCS).

Publikation: Beitrag in Buch/Bericht/Sammelwerk/KonferenzbandAufsatz in KonferenzbandForschungPeer-Review

Anders, M, Obaidi, M, Paech, B & Schneider, K 2022, A Study on the Mental Models of Users Concerning Existing Software. in V Gervasi & A Vogelsang (Hrsg.), Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality - 28th International Working Conference, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), Bd. 13216 LNCS, S. 235-250. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98464-9_18
Anders, M., Obaidi, M., Paech, B., & Schneider, K. (2022). A Study on the Mental Models of Users Concerning Existing Software. In V. Gervasi, & A. Vogelsang (Hrsg.), Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality - 28th International Working Conference, Proceedings (S. 235-250). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Band 13216 LNCS). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98464-9_18
Anders M, Obaidi M, Paech B, Schneider K. A Study on the Mental Models of Users Concerning Existing Software. in Gervasi V, Vogelsang A, Hrsg., Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality - 28th International Working Conference, Proceedings. 2022. S. 235-250. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)). doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-98464-9_18
Anders, Michael ; Obaidi, Martin ; Paech, Barbara et al. / A Study on the Mental Models of Users Concerning Existing Software. Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality - 28th International Working Conference, Proceedings. Hrsg. / Vincenzo Gervasi ; Andreas Vogelsang. 2022. S. 235-250 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)).
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abstract = "Context and Motivation: Software users describe requirements for new software and give feedback to existing software. Both are well studied in requirements engineering research. However, both are also heavily influenced by the users{\textquoteright} comprehension of existing software. We do not know which aspects of software users have in mind when they talk about it. While their mental model is interesting in itself, knowing this mental model could be helpful both, during requirements elicitation and validation-whenever user statements need to be understood.Problem: There is no standard methodology to study mental models and existing mental model studies mostly focus on specific elements of a specific software.Principal results: We have asked students to describe and draw a certain software. We coded the answers to understand the abstraction levels and the software aspects mentioned. We also analyzed differences. Our results showed a strong focus on the interaction and domain level. The users{\textquoteright} drawings primarily represented the user interface. We found only small differences between participants with a computer science background compared to those without one.Contribution: This paper presents initial insights on the software aspects in the mental model of users concerning existing software. It also describes our method to study this model and ideas for future studies.",
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Download

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AU - Anders, Michael

AU - Obaidi, Martin

AU - Paech, Barbara

AU - Schneider, Kurt

N1 - Funding Information: Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - 433661943.

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