The Neuroscience and Psychology of Open Source Communities

by Elizabeth Barron

In her talk titled "The Neuroscience and Psychology of Open Source Communities" at RubyConf 2016, Elizabeth Barron explores the intricate dynamics of human behavior within open source environments. She emphasizes how understanding cognitive biases and collaborative models can enhance community interaction and engagement.

Key Points Discussed:
- Open Source Definition: Barron defines open source as individuals working together in groups online, highlighting the importance of collaboration.
- Human Irrationality: She references the numerous irrational ways humans behave, focusing on specific cognitive biases rather than delving into all 107 biases available in studies.
- Negativity Bias: People tend to give more weight to negative experiences than positive ones. This bias stems from survival instincts and influences how feedback is perceived in communities.
- Dunning-Kruger Effect and Imposter Syndrome: These concepts illustrate challenges in self-assessment of skills. Barron emphasizes the need for better self-awareness in recognizing one's capabilities.
- Confirmation Bias and Illusion of Transparency: Individuals often seek information that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs and overestimate how well others understand them, leading to misunderstandings.
- Cultural Phenomena: Barron discusses the impact of rejection sensitivity, tribalism, and ingroup favoritism, stressing the need for inclusivity to combat unhealthy competition in open source projects.
- SCARF Model: This framework (Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness) is introduced to understand motivators within group dynamics. Each element significantly affects individual contributions and community cohesiveness.
- Community Dynamics: The importance of feeling understood and the psychological need for belonging are highlighted as paramount for effective collaboration in diverse teams.

Conclusions and Takeaways:
Barron encourages attendees to extend grace and understanding to themselves and others amid the complexities of social interaction. Recognizing these cognitive patterns can foster empathy and improve personal interactions within open source communities. Resources, including research papers mentioned in the talk, will be made available for further exploration.

Overall, the talk combines insights from psychology and neuroscience to provide valuable strategies for nurturing healthy and vibrant open source communities.

00:00:15.920 Hi friends, I'm Elizabeth. If you don't know me, then please come say hi to me.

00:00:22.359 For those who don't know me, here's a quick 30-second bio. I've been involved in open source for a really long time, since 2002, because I'm quite old. I was a PHP developer for many years, and then about six years ago, I transitioned to the community side of things. I pivoted my career, and now I work at GitHub. I've been at GitHub for about four years, focusing on community-related tasks.

00:00:35.440 I live in Cincinnati, so if you need recommendations for great places to eat, see, or visit, you might want to ask someone else. I live in the suburbs and never come downtown, so I'm somewhat out of touch. I was excited to come out last night and enjoy dinner downtown; it felt like I was a tourist in my own town.

00:00:50.840 I hold a degree in organizational behavior, and I'm fascinated by the behavioral science aspect of open source, which is why I'm giving this talk. I tend to geek out over this stuff, so I apologize in advance for my excitement. Now, let's get started.

00:01:13.920 If we were to define what makes open source open, I think this definition fits well: 'individuals working in groups collaborating together online.' So, we want to break this definition down into different layers, starting with the individual.

00:01:39.960 According to Wikipedia, there are no less than 107 different ways we act completely irrationally. That's a staggering number! We tend to believe that we are the rational ones in our decision-making, but the truth is we are rarely rational. This phenomenon extends beyond unconscious biases like sexism and racism, which we won't delve into, as discussing all 107 biases would take ages and likely bore you.

00:02:11.080 Instead, I'll highlight a few patterns I've observed over my 14 years in open source. My goal is to help you empathize with these behaviors and recognize some of these biases in yourselves.

00:02:32.640 Firstly, let's talk about negativity bias. This bias explains that we, as human beings, tend to place more importance on negative experiences and feedback than on positive ones. Behavioral scientists trace this bias back to survival instincts—if your cousin eats a poisonous plant, you learn quickly not to eat it! Consequently, negative experiences register more rapidly and deeply in our brains.

00:03:04.640 When you receive negative feedback, it stays in your long-term memory, whereas you'd need about 15 to 30 seconds to appreciate positive feedback before it sticks. Interestingly, every negative experience you have holds over twice the adverse effect of any positive experience. For instance, if I give you $20, you might feel good, but if you then lose that $20, you'll feel worse than you did before. It's a fascinating and somewhat disheartening aspect of human psychology.

00:03:38.200 We also learn faster from negative experiences. In the carrot and stick analogy, the stick teaches us much more readily than the carrot does. While not the healthiest method of learning, people quickly grasp what behaviors to avoid when faced with negativity.

00:04:11.280 Now, how many of you here participate in or manage an open source project? Great! These insights also apply to work or home life; this is human behavior. Did you know we possess five times more neural networks dedicated to negative affect than to positive affect? Negative affects encompass emotions such as fear, grief, and shame, while positive affects include joy and laughter. This tendency to focus on threats significantly influences our daily experiences.

00:04:51.520 Understanding that we process negative experiences more intensely can help mitigate this effect. Additionally, we often have more vocabulary to express negative feelings than positive ones.

00:05:22.960 When looking at a picture, what do you notice first? A broken window, right? Now, how many of you consider yourself a problem solver? Many of you! The interesting thing about problem solvers is that they're always on the lookout for problems. This constant vigilance can lead to seeing the world primarily through a lens of negativity.

00:06:10.040 In contrast, it's crucial to recognize the difference between creating and problem-solving. The key difference lies in intention: in problem-solving, we seek to eliminate what we don't like, whereas in creating, we aspire to bring forth what we truly care about. If we reevaluate the example of the broken window, we could also view it as mostly intact, with just one pane needing replacement.

00:07:03.760 Next up is the Dunning-Kruger effect. Has anyone heard of this? It reflects our struggle to objectively assess our expertise and know-how compared to others. There’s also the concept of imposter syndrome, which many in software can relate to. It's vital to strive for an objective understanding of our skill levels, both positively and negatively.

00:07:55.600 Now let’s delve into confirmation bias. One easy example would be social media—such as Facebook or Twitter—where we tend to only seek information that aligns with our preconceptions. Our brains filter out opposing views or confusing information. In research contexts, confirming bias can obscure our understanding of results.

00:08:33.920 Additionally, when we feel like imposters, we often align our thoughts to reinforce our feelings of inadequacy. Mitigating this bias requires conscious effort.

00:09:05.120 Another interesting concept is the illusion of transparency. Has anyone heard of this? This occurs when we overestimate how well others understand what we are thinking. We believe our intentions or thoughts are clear, but without proper documentation, misunderstandings arise. A study showcased how when individuals tapped out a song for someone else to guess, they anticipated that the recipients would easily identify the tune, but the reality was starkly different.

00:09:42.560 The curse of knowledge illustrates further challenges—once we gain expertise in an area, we often struggle to empathize with beginners. In my role at GitHub, I run events for beginners, and the experience reveals how essential it is for mentors to recall their own learning pathways.

00:10:23.840 We all learn differently—be it through traditional schooling, boot camps, self-teaching, or other methods. There’s no single way to become skilled in our fields, which can lead to significant gaps in collective knowledge. When we react negatively to someone's lack of knowledge, we should recognize the myriad experiences that shape our learning paths.

00:11:09.360 The false consensus effect leads us to overestimate how many people agree with our viewpoints. We often think our perspectives are common, which they may not be. Our personal experiences can mislead us into believing everyone feels similarly about a topic.

00:12:04.160 Let's discuss rejection sensitivity. This trait manifests in a spectrum—some people are entirely unconcerned about rejection, while others are hypersensitive. It's essential to remember: just because we respond differently doesn't render others 'overly sensitive.' Our subjective perspectives can vary widely.

00:12:47.680 Remarkably, our brains react similarly to social rejection as they do to physical pain. If we feel rejected or disconnected, we experience real, physiological effects. Painkillers released in our system help alleviate that discomfort.

00:13:35.440 Now, let's shift our focus to collaborative groups. Inclusivity becomes even more critical when navigating diverse complexities present in team dynamics. Ingroup favoritism can lead to tribalism, leading to unhealthy competitiveness within project communities.

00:14:09.840 It's essential to embrace diversity and recognize our shared goals in open source development. People often become too attached to their identities tied to specific tools or languages. This emotional attachment can create an unnecessary divide and shift focus from our mutual goal.

00:15:05.600 Feeling understood is crucial for community members. Studies have shown that being respected and comprehended strongly influences our emotional wellbeing, and when we feel misunderstood, negative emotions arise.

00:15:51.360 The want for social belonging is deeply rooted in human history. As indicated in open source projects today, we thrive better as a unified group. Everyone needs to feel they belong to foster motivation and engagement.

00:16:39.920 Now, let's look at SCARF—a model designed to understand what motivates individuals in group dynamics, which involves status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness. Each domain influences how people engage with peers and perceive their contributions.

00:17:31.040 The need for status or recognition can significantly impact someone's involvement in an open source project. Meanwhile, certainty often diminishes feelings of threat, which can encourage engagement. Some people require clear guidelines to feel comfortable contributing.

00:18:10.480 Autonomy is essential; contributors value the freedom to work independently, as feeling powerless can lead to disengagement. Relatedness ties back to our inherent need for connection and belonging within a community.

00:19:04.640 Finally, fairness is a complex, emotion-laden concept. It varies dramatically based on individual perspectives. What seems fair to one group may not be perceived the same way by another, contributing to conflict.

00:19:56.000 Collaborating online, particularly in open source projects, is intricate and requires conscious effort. Recognizing ourselves in these behavioral patterns can foster empathy toward others.

00:20:47.440 As I've mentioned, these slides will be available on Speaker Deck, alongside links to every research paper I referenced. I encourage you all to explore the factors influencing human behaviors. Understanding these can lead to better personal interactions within your open source community.

00:21:40.480 In conclusion, let’s extend a bit of grace towards ourselves and others in our communities. We're all navigating complex emotional landscapes, and a little kindness can go a long way.

00:22:28.800 Once again, I'm Elizabeth, but known as Elizabeth N on various platforms, including GitHub and Twitter. If you have any questions or just want to chat, I'm here for you.

00:23:10.960 Thank you all for your time!