That is not my program: investigating the relation between program comprehension and program authorship

Abstract

Program comprehension has been an integral part of a wide range of activities including introductory programming courses in colleges, end-user customizations to existing software, and software maintenance. Prior research has highlighted some of the factors that influence this task but has ignored the issue of program authorship. This pilot study explores the relationship between program comprehension and authorship and highlights the factors that are under play. Preliminary investigation has revealed that some of the important factors are - self efficacy, ownership, knowledge organization, existing mental models, access to expert community and cultural support.