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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.00462 |
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| _version_ | 1866915939806609408 |
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| author | Ververs, Linus Berger, Janina Prechelt, Lutz |
| author_facet | Ververs, Linus Berger, Janina Prechelt, Lutz |
| contents | Background: In pair programming, Togetherness (the partners understand each other's mental state well) is a main success factor. Maintaining high Togetherness is an element of pair programming skill. Some sessions appear to go badly although Togetherness appears good. Objective: Understand under what circumstances this is possible. Method: Grounded Theory Methodology based on 21 recorded pair programming sessions with 22 developers from 5 German software companies and 6 interviews with different developers from 4 other German companies. Results: We explain how a Power Gap can make a session dysfunctional despite the presence of high Togetherness, how it comes into existence due to a Knowledge Gap and Hierarchical Behavior, why its consequences (Defensive Behavior and Disengaging Behavior) are problematic, and how it can be reduced or prevented by Equalizing Behavior. Conclusions: Pair programming practitioners can improve their pair programming skill by unlearning problematic behaviors related to Power Gaps and by learning to recognize Power Gaps and apply Equalizing Behavior. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_00462 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Managing Power Gaps as an Element of Pair Programming Skill: A Grounded Theory Ververs, Linus Berger, Janina Prechelt, Lutz Software Engineering Background: In pair programming, Togetherness (the partners understand each other's mental state well) is a main success factor. Maintaining high Togetherness is an element of pair programming skill. Some sessions appear to go badly although Togetherness appears good. Objective: Understand under what circumstances this is possible. Method: Grounded Theory Methodology based on 21 recorded pair programming sessions with 22 developers from 5 German software companies and 6 interviews with different developers from 4 other German companies. Results: We explain how a Power Gap can make a session dysfunctional despite the presence of high Togetherness, how it comes into existence due to a Knowledge Gap and Hierarchical Behavior, why its consequences (Defensive Behavior and Disengaging Behavior) are problematic, and how it can be reduced or prevented by Equalizing Behavior. Conclusions: Pair programming practitioners can improve their pair programming skill by unlearning problematic behaviors related to Power Gaps and by learning to recognize Power Gaps and apply Equalizing Behavior. |
| title | Managing Power Gaps as an Element of Pair Programming Skill: A Grounded Theory |
| topic | Software Engineering |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.00462 |