The acceptance, use, and perceptions of metamorphic testing for a sample of open-source software developers

This article examines the use, acceptance, and perceptions of metamorphic testing (MT) for a sample of open-source software developers. The study findings, including descriptive data and the results of correlational analyses, are used to inform recommendations for practice and for future research. The guiding framework of this study is the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). An online survey instrument was used to collect data from a sample of contributors to a variety of projects in a GitHub collection. The survey included quantitative questions designed to measure the following UTAUT constructs and variables as they pertain to metamorphic testing: performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), behavioral intention (BI), and frequency of use (FoU). The PE and EE constructs were found to have moderate to strong positive correlations with the BI and FoU. The creation of interventions to educate developers about metamorphic testing is recommended. Future research could involve examining other factors that may affect the acceptance and use of metamorphic testing. In addition, tools that make MT easier to use, easier to learn, and more efficient could be developed. Tools that help the developer more easily identify metamorphic relations could be especially useful.