The Connection Between Burnout and Personality Types in Software Developers

Abstract: This paper examines the connection between the Five Factor Model personality traits and burnout in software developers. This study aims to validate generalizations of findings in other fields. An online survey consisting of a miniaturized International Personality Item Pool questionnaire for measuring the Five Factor Model personality traits, and the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure for measuring burnout, were distributed to open source developer mailing lists, obtaining 47 valid responses. The results from a Bayesian Linear Regression analysis indicate a strong link between neuroticism and burnout confirming previous work, while the other Five Factor Model traits were not adding power to the model. It is important to note that we did not investigate the quality of work in connection to personality, nor did we take any other confounding factors into account like, for example, teamwork. Nonetheless, employers could be aware of, and support, software developers with high neuroticism.