When Pair Programming Gets Emotional: A Case Study of What LLMs Still Miss

Emotions play a key role in collaborative software practices like pair programming. In this case study, we analyze pair programming videos to assess whether Large Language Models (LLMs) can serve as pair programming partners. We adapt the EmpatheticDialogues benchmark to create scenarios that simulate how an LLM responds in emotional moments in pair programming. We find that LLMs generally match the level of empathy humans provide in emotional moments during pair programming. However, they sometimes get lost in conversational dynamics and miss the big picture, and prioritize task progression over discussion. Our findings highlight both the potential and current limitations of LLMs in emotionally sensitive programming contexts.