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EuroSTAR Conference

Europe's Largest Software Testing Conference

Track Talk F5

How to Avoid Cognitive Biases in Testing

Benjamin Johnson-Ward

10:30-11:30 Friday 14th June

We can’t test everything. Instead, testers must think critically and creatively, making risk-based decisions about what to explore, and what to release “on trust”.

But, what if this ability to think can lead us astray? What if our brains have evolved to evaluate risks in ways that can produce suboptimal decisions? Decisions that appear rational might in turn focus finite testing efforts on areas of the system where bugs are less likely to occur. This then overlooks at-risk areas where impactful defects can hide.

In this talk, I will teach you about “cognitive biases”, and how to avoid them in your testing. I will draw on Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky’s pioneering research in behavioural economics and cognitive psychology, considering how our brains have evolved to behave irrationally. You will learn about “heuristics”, which provide shortcuts for the brain to make fast, in-the-moment decision, but can also undermine slow and considered thought.

A series of interactive questions and examples will then teach you how cognitive biases are at play in your own thought. This will show you how cognitive biases can degrade your testing, from the “Positive Test” and “Confirmation” biases, to the “Availability Heuristic” and “IKEA Effect”.

I will end with suggestions for combatting cognitive biases in testing. I will discuss the inclusion of a wider range of stakeholders in testing decisions, the use of static code analysis and data-driven metrics, and the formulation of tighter specifications to invite critique.

The session is designed to be fun, educational, and useful for building better testing teams/practices. In terms of the conference theme, you will learn how “what we are doing here” might not always be what we *think* we are doing. Better risk assessment then makes testing more “relevant, powerful, and valuable” in “particular situations and contexts”.

What you will learn

  1. Why testing is necessarily risk-based, and the key risk factors to consider when you cannot test “everything”
  2. How cognitive biases, left unchecked, can undermine testing’s ability to evaluate risk, focusing on areas where critical bugs are less likely to occur
  3. How you can mitigate the risk of cognitive biases in your testing, and why these solutions must emphasise people alongside new processes and technology

Session Details

  • Introductory
  • 1 Hour
  • Includes 20mins Discussion
  • Risk
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Check out this video from Benjamin Johnson-Ward to hear more about his talk, ‘How to Avoid Cognitive Biases in Testing’.

We look forward to welcoming you to EuroSTAR 2024.

Session Speaker

Headshot of EuroSTAR 2024 speaker Ben Johnson-Ward

Benjamin Johnson-Ward

Lead Solutions Engineer – Curiosity Software, USA

Before spending the past 10+ years pioneering testing techniques and tools, Benjamin studied economics at the world-leading London School of Economics. He focused on behavioral economics and econometrics, questioning how unconscious biases and economic structures influence behavior. Benjamin has since applied these insights to become a better tester, seeking to understand how unconscious biases can mislead the critical thinking that lies at the heart of testing.

Benjamin has applied this introspective mindset to his work as a tester at both start-ups and multinationals. He has helped shape testing techniques at global banks, retailers, insurance companies, telcos and beyond. He has occupied many of the roles associated with “quality”, including developer, product manager, automation engineer and tester. Benjamin’s work has often gravitated towards model-based testing and test data management. He has most recently focused on applications of Generative AI to testing, both as a product manager and delivery specialist of AI-driven tools.

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