The Impact of Human Aspects on the Interactions Between Software Developers and End-Users in Software Engineering: A Systematic Literature Review

TL;DR

The paper presents a systematic literature review following Kitchenham guidelines to map how human aspects influence interactions between software developers and end-users in software engineering. By synthesizing 46 primary studies from six databases and exhaustive snowballing, it identifies a taxonomy of human aspects (individual, group-related, and skill/experiential factors), their positive and negative impacts on developer–user interactions and SE, and practical mitigation strategies. The study highlights gaps such as underexplored aspects like empathy, personality, and attitude, and proposes a set of research and practice recommendations to enhance user involvement, cross-cultural communication, and overall project success. Its findings offer practitioners a structured understanding of how to leverage positive human factors while mitigating negative effects to improve user-centered software development.

Abstract

Context: Research on human aspects within the field of software engineering (SE) has been steadily gaining prominence in recent years. These human aspects have a significant impact on SE due to the inherently interactive and collaborative nature of the discipline. Objective: In this paper, we present a systematic literature review (SLR) on human aspects affecting developer-user interactions. The objective of this SLR is to plot the current landscape of primary studies by examining the human aspects that influence developer-user interactions, their implications, interrelationships, and how existing studies address these implications. Method: We conducted this SLR following the guidelines proposed by Kitchenham et al. We performed a comprehensive search in six digital databases, and an exhaustive backward and forward snowballing process. We selected 46 primary studies for data extraction. Results: We identified various human aspects affecting developer-user interactions in SE, assessed their interrelationships, identified their positive impacts and mitigation strategies for negative effects. We present specific recommendations derived from the identified research gaps. Conclusion: Our findings suggest the importance of leveraging positive effects and addressing negative effects in developer-user interactions through the implementation of effective mitigation strategies. These insights may benefit software practitioners for effective user interactions, and the recommendations proposed by this SLR may aid the research community in further human aspects related studies.

Figures (9)

• Figure 1: Overview of SLR Methodology
• Figure 2: Search String Formulation for Primary Search
• Figure 3: Overview of Paper Selection Process
• Figure 4: Summary of the Key Findings of this SLR
• Figure 5: Primary Studies by Year of Publication Year