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Why is my Team’s Regression Pack Full of Junk Tests? The Endowment Effect

Regression packs, both manual and automated, have grown in importance with the advent of Agile, DevOps, CI, CT, and CD. Unfortunately, regression packs are frequently neglected and full of low-value tests that offer little or no benefit in running. Even when managers are aware of this problem, they seem unable to do anything about it. Why do they allow their regression packs to drift into this deteriorated state? A major reason for this drift is a cognitive bias, known as the Endowment Effect.

Andy Brown will explore the endowment effect and explain how difficult it is to give something up, even after only the briefest period of ownership. He will demonstrate how it influences QA and engineering managers and the state of their tests in their regression pack.

In this webinar you will learn:

  • How to improve your team’s regression packs by reviewing the contents
  • How the endowment effect causes your team to resist replacing existing tests with new ones
  • What is causing your team’s regression packs to gradually decrease in effectiveness

Panelist: Andrew Brown | Consultant | Expleo, United Kingdom

Dr Andrew Brown is a principal consultant at SQS. He leads an independent line of research into understanding why we humans make the mistakes that lead to software defects. He has 25 years’ experience in the software industry. Previous roles include Head of QA at HMV, Head of QA at a financial software house and a test manager in Japan. He holds a degree in Physics and Maths, an MBA from Warwick Business School and a doctorate from Imperial College.

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