How do senior software engineers learn soft skills? A narrative study based on social cognitive theory

Abstract Soft skills are critical to effective software engineering, yet limited empirical understanding exists of how experienced practitioners retrospectively make sense of their learning and development. This study examines how Senior Software Engineers (SSEs) interpret these processes through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). We conducted episodic narrative interviews with 28 SSEs across diverse organizational contexts and analyzed their accounts through theory-informed reflexive thematic analysis, using six SCT constructs as interpretive lenses. Our analysis showed that soft skills are often developed not through formal training, but through situated practice (such as mentoring, conflict management, and leadership transitions) typically shaped by contextual demands or turning points. Participants also described learning as a socially embedded and dynamic process involving observation, reflection, and adaptation. This work (i) strengthens the empirical basis for understanding soft skills in software engineering by illustrating how SCT constructs manifest in practice, (ii) identifies distinct developmental pathways of soft skills growth, including modeling, reinforcement, and mastery through progressive roles, and (iii) demonstrates how organizational and sociotechnical contexts create affordances and constraints that shape which soft skills can be learned, practiced, and sustained.