The document discusses cognitive biases that can cause testers to miss bugs. It explains that software testing involves both objective comparisons to specifications as well as subjective judgments, and that missed bugs result from errors in judgment influenced by cognitive biases. Some biases discussed include representative bias, confirmation bias, and anchoring effect. The document advocates managing cognitive biases through techniques like exploratory testing, which focuses more on intuition and learning than requirements coverage. It suggests testers, managers, and the QA profession shift focus from finding bugs to providing information.
XBOSoft webinar - How Did I Miss That Bug - Cognitive Biases in Software Testing
1. How Did I Miss That Bug?
Overcome Cognitive Bias in Testing
with Gerie Owen
#howdidimissthatbug
2. XBOSoft
Dedicated to Software Quality Improvement
Founded in 2006
We speed products to market with our expert:
• Software QA consulting
• Software testing
Global team with offices in San Francisco & Beijing
“Thorough, accurate and fast”
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3. House Rules
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§ Ask questions in the GoToWebinar control on the
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Webinar Hashtag: #TestCaseTips
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4. Meet Our Speakers
Philip Lew
CEO and Founder, XBOSoft
• Relevant specialties and
passions
o Software quality process,
evaluation, measurement
and improvement
o Software quality in use / UX
design
o Mobile User Experience and
usability
o Cycling and travel
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5. Gerie Owen
• Test Architect
• Test Lead, Tester and as such
experienced bug finder and
bug misser
• Subject expert on testing for
TechTarget’s
SearchSoftwareQuality.com
• International and Domestic
Conference Presenter
• Marathon Runner & Running
Coach
• Cat Mom
www.gerieowen.com
gerie.owen@gerieowen.com
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45. References
• Ariely, D., 2009. Predictably Irra7onal: The hidden forces that shape our decisions. New
York: Harper Colins Publishers.
• Chabris, C and Daniel Simons, 2010. The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intui7ons Deceive Us.
New York: Crown Publishers.
• Kahneman, D. (2011) Thinking Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
• Kahneman, D. (2003). Maps of Bounded Ra7onality: Psychology for Behavioral Economics.
The American Economic Review, 93(5), 1449-1475.
• Golieb, D. A., Weiss, T., & Chapman, G. B. (2007). The Format in which Uncertainty
Informa7on is Presented Affects Decision Biases. Psychological Science, 18(3), 240-246.
• Levav, J., & Fitzsimons, G. J. (2006). When Ques7ons Change Behavior: the Role of Ease of
Representa7on. Psychological Science, 17(3), 207-213.
• Ariely, D. & Norton, M. I. (2008). How ac7ons create—not just reveal— preferences. Trends in
Cogni-ve Sciences, 12(1), 13-16.
• Johansson, P., Hall, L., Sikström, S., & Olsson, A. (2005). Failure to Detect Mismatches
Between Inten7on and Outcome in a Simple Decision Task. Science, 310(5745), 116-119.
• New Yorker June 12, 2012, Jonah Lehrer Why Smart People Are Stupid
• West RF, Meserve RJ, Stanovich KE , Cogni7ve sophis7ca7on does not aRenuate the bias
blind spot. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2012 Sep;103(3):506-19.
• Milkman K, Clough, D., & Bazerman, M. (2008) How Can Decision Making Be Improved?
Harvard Business School.
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