{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7138921323","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.16791","title":"Improving Code Comprehension through Cognitive-Load Aware Automated Refactoring for Novice Programmers","display_name":"Improving Code Comprehension through Cognitive-Load Aware Automated Refactoring for Novice Programmers","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-17","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7138921323","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.16791"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.16791","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.16791","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.16791","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5003462077","display_name":"Subarna Saha","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Saha, Subarna","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5120711491","display_name":"Alif Al Hasan","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Hasan, Alif Al","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129874710","display_name":"Fariha Tanjim Shifat","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shifat, Fariha Tanjim","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129959300","display_name":"Mia Mohammad Imran","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Imran, Mia Mohammad","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.9377999901771545,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.9377999901771545,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10533","display_name":"Teaching and Learning Programming","score":0.019899999722838402,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1706","display_name":"Computer Science Applications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10799","display_name":"Data Visualization and Analytics","score":0.004100000020116568,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/code-refactoring","display_name":"Code refactoring","score":0.9822999835014343},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/program-comprehension","display_name":"Program comprehension","score":0.6021000146865845},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/code","display_name":"Code (set theory)","score":0.5343000292778015},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/source-code","display_name":"Source code","score":0.5307999849319458},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/identification","display_name":"Identification (biology)","score":0.5216000080108643},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/operationalization","display_name":"Operationalization","score":0.4918999969959259},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cyclomatic-complexity","display_name":"Cyclomatic complexity","score":0.46299999952316284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/benchmark","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","score":0.36899998784065247}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C152752567","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116877","display_name":"Code refactoring","level":3,"score":0.9822999835014343},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.8046000003814697},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777561058","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2652119","display_name":"Program comprehension","level":4,"score":0.6021000146865845},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776760102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5139990","display_name":"Code (set theory)","level":3,"score":0.5343000292778015},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43126263","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q128751","display_name":"Source code","level":2,"score":0.5307999849319458},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.5234000086784363},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C116834253","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2039217","display_name":"Identification (biology)","level":2,"score":0.5216000080108643},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C9354725","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q286017","display_name":"Operationalization","level":2,"score":0.4918999969959259},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C187303228","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q867330","display_name":"Cyclomatic complexity","level":3,"score":0.46299999952316284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.42320001125335693},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C185798385","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1161707","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","level":2,"score":0.36899998784065247},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C101317890","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q940053","display_name":"Software maintenance","level":4,"score":0.35589998960494995},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115903868","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80993","display_name":"Software engineering","level":1,"score":0.3452000021934509},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137287247","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1329550","display_name":"Static program analysis","level":4,"score":0.30979999899864197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C113843644","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q901882","display_name":"Interface (matter)","level":4,"score":0.3037000000476837},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C121957198","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14365593","display_name":"KPI-driven code analysis","level":5,"score":0.2921000123023987},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C511192102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5156948","display_name":"Comprehension","level":2,"score":0.2863999903202057},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C169900460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2200417","display_name":"Cognition","level":2,"score":0.2800000011920929},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.2799000144004822},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C133162039","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1061077","display_name":"Code generation","level":3,"score":0.2797999978065491},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C184337299","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1437428","display_name":"Semantics (computer science)","level":2,"score":0.2734000086784363},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C529173508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q638608","display_name":"Software development","level":3,"score":0.2718999981880188},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.2531000077724457},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778143727","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1820650","display_name":"Readability","level":2,"score":0.2506999969482422}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.16791","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.16791","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.16791","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.16791","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"display_name":"No poverty","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/1","score":0.612208366394043}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Novice":[0],"programmers":[1],"often":[2],"struggle":[3],"to":[4,8,45,63,121],"comprehend":[5],"code":[6,29,33,44,134,163],"due":[7],"vague":[9],"naming,":[10],"deep":[11],"nesting,":[12],"and":[13,70,81,87,89,99,107,115,142,157],"poor":[14],"structural":[15,71,143],"organization.":[16],"While":[17],"explanations":[18],"may":[19],"offer":[20],"partial":[21],"support,":[22],"they":[23],"typically":[24],"do":[25],"not":[26],"restructure":[27],"the":[28,110,126],"itself.":[30],"We":[31,48,73],"propose":[32],"refactoring":[34,41,103,153],"as":[35],"cognitive":[36],"scaffolding,":[37],"where":[38],"cognitively":[39,151],"guided":[40,152],"automatically":[42],"restructures":[43],"improve":[46],"clarity.":[47],"operationalize":[49],"this":[50],"in":[51,57,132],"CDDRefactorER,":[52],"an":[53],"automated":[54],"approach":[55],"grounded":[56],"Cognitive-Driven":[58],"Development":[59],"that":[60,150],"constrains":[61],"transformations":[62],"reduce":[64],"control-flow":[65],"complexity":[66,117],"while":[67],"preserving":[68],"behavior":[69],"similarity.":[72],"evaluate":[74],"CDDRefactorER":[75,101],"using":[76],"two":[77,84],"benchmark":[78],"datasets":[79,98],"(MBPP":[80],"APPS)":[82],"against":[83],"models":[85],"(gpt-5-nano":[86],"kimi-k2),":[88],"a":[90,155],"controlled":[91],"human-subject":[92],"study":[93,128],"with":[94,136],"novice":[95,133,162],"programmers.":[96],"Across":[97],"models,":[100],"reduces":[102],"failures":[104],"by":[105,140,145],"54-71%":[106],"substantially":[108],"lowers":[109],"likelihood":[111],"of":[112],"increased":[113],"Cyclomatic":[114],"Cognitive":[116],"during":[118],"refactoring,":[119],"compared":[120],"unconstrained":[122],"prompting.":[123],"Results":[124],"from":[125],"human":[127],"show":[129],"consistent":[130],"improvements":[131],"comprehension,":[135],"function":[137],"identification":[138],"increasing":[139],"31.3%":[141],"readability":[144],"22.0%.":[146],"The":[147],"findings":[148],"suggest":[149],"offers":[154],"practical":[156],"effective":[158],"mechanism":[159],"for":[160],"enhancing":[161],"comprehension.":[164]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-28T07:46:37.118299","created_date":"2026-03-20T00:00:00"}
