The effects of destructive criticism in code review
summary
Study uses an online questionnaire with vignette-style code-review scenarios and compares constructive versus destructive wording. Main claim: destructive criticism is often judged valid but not helpful, it lowers motivation to continue on the task or project and harms retention — women report larger drops and less-experienced developers are likelier to apologize. Survey finds 22% received inconsiderate feedback in the last year while 1% admitted giving it, suggesting awareness gaps and a need for feedback pathways and context-sensitive review norms.
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chapters (9)
- 0:00Intro
- 0:20Software Code Review
- 1:13Method - Online Questionnaire
- 2:00Perceptions of criticism
- 2:59Motivation to continue working
- 3:59Demographic differences
- 5:20Frequency of Destructive Criticism
- 6:08General opinions on destructive criticism
- 7:33Implications
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