Investigating Interracial Pair Coordination During Remote Pair Programming

Remote pair programming is a popular software development method that lacks evidence on how race may affect pair dynamics. Past computer science studies demonstrated how race impacts various fields such as AI, education, politics and jobs. A complex history of interracial interactions in the United States has led to differences in collaborative styles. We recruited 12 professional developers and investigated how same-and mixed-race pairs (Black-White) coordinated during remote pair programming interactions. Our results revealed that Black developers in mixed-race pairs were more democratic while in same-race pairs were more authoritative.