WAP: Cognitive aspects in unit testing: The hunting game and the hunter´s perspective

Humans are hunters and love the chase-they hunt for food, they hunt for bugs in software. In the last decade, testing research has gone deeper and broader to help with the challenging task of catching bugs. Much of the literature approaches the problem from a theoretical-technical perspective and is often oriented to automated solutions. Yet, there is a gap between industry testing problems and research testing solutions. We take a different perspective and consider the human component as a major part of the solution for practical testing problems. Many of these human-related issues are reported in academic surveys of practitioners. We highlight the importance of human factors in testing by introducing a hunting metaphor. We also bring attention to evidence on cognitive support demands in unit test practices. An initial framework is proposed as an effort to bring understanding of cognitive support demands, and provides direction for further research on unit testing tools which support tester skill improvement.