External Imagery in Computer Programming

Imagery is a cognitive process commonly used in sports in which athletes internally or externally visualize themselves performing a skill, allowing them to create an internal experience similar to the physical event. It is intended to allow participants to refine and perfect their performance. This paper investigates the use of imagery in the setting of computer programming. We explore the idea that watching a keystroke replay of yourself writing computer code that solves a specific problem can increase the speed and quality of a subsequent attempt at solving a similar problem as well as improve attitude and engagement. We investigate the theory of imagery, its application to computer programming, and we present results of a qualitative study. Our results suggest that using imagery could have a positive effect on the profitability of spending time reviewing code.

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