Thinking Fast: Patterns of Cognitive Error in Software Engineering Education and Practice

Abstract

In this paper, the author utilizes typical mistakes of third year undergraduate Computer Science and Software Engineering students in advanced software engineering courses to categorize and anticipates errors in engineering practice. In elementary courses, the students learn and apply techniques locally to relatively simple problems. In advanced courses the students are trained to select and integrate a number of techniques to solve several interdependent problems encountered in the development of complex systems. In this context, the work of Daniel Kahneman on System 1 (intuitive) and System 2 (rational) thinking is quite relevant to analysis of the patterns leading to cognitive errors. Implications for engineering practice are explored.