Testing with Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)

Alan Richardson For UKTest September 2005 www.bjss.co.uk

I was a teenage methodology monster!

*Gasp in amazement*
Methodology
As you see him know exactly what do do, before he is even on site.

*You will Be shocked*

As the rework mounts to truly heroic proportions

*Can you bear to see*

He can do no wrong.
Him justify his actions by quoting text book after text book and expert after expert.

Coming soon to a project near you

Context Driven Testing

People most Important Value depends on context Constant judgment & Skill Testing (vb) = intellectual process

Product is a solution

No Best Practices

Projects often not predictable

What about X?

Good in context

Princ iples
www.context-driven-testing.com

Unit Testing, Regression Testing, End to End, Automation, Tools, etc.

Neuro Linguistic Programming

Neuro
Nervous system through which experience is received and processed through the five senses.

the study of the structure of subjective experience.

www.richardbandler.tv

Linguistic
Language and nonverbal communication systems through which neural representations are coded, ordered, and given meaning.

Programming

The ability to organize our communication and neurological systems to achieve specific desired goals and results. http://www.purenlp.com/nlpis1.htm

NLP is
ATTITUDE sense of curiosity and adventure desire to learn the skills to be able to find out what kinds of communication influences somebody and the kinds of things worth knowing ... to look at life as a rare and unprecedented opportunity to learn
http://www.purenlp.com/nlpis2.htm

TECHNOLOGY enabling the practitioner to organize information and perceptions in ways that allow them to achieve results that were once inconceivable METHODOLOGY all behavior has a structure . . . and that structure can be modeled, learned, taught, and changed (reProgrammed). The way to know what will be useful and effective are the perceptual skills

Roots of NLP
Gestalt Therapy Context

Fritz Perls

Family Therapy

Virginia Satir
Deep structure Surface Structure Deletion Distortion Generalization

Congruence Groups Change

Transformational Grammar

Roots of NLP
Hypnosis

Milton Erickson
Provocative Therapy Attitude Humour Challenge Explore limits Honesty

Ambiguity Conversational Change

Frank Farrelly

[NLP is a Synthesis]
Others

George Miller Gregory Bateson Alfred Korzybski Edward Sapir Mathematical Logic

Deep Surface
Meta-Model based on transformational grammar model Words affect experience
Deep Structure
Primary Experience Sensory & Emotional Secondary Experience Linguistic Derivation

Transformation

Surface Structure Surface Structure Surface Structure Surface Structure

What can you expect from context-driven testers?

It depends... on the context, but generally (I suspect they will)...
Ask a lot of questions of you and of themselves to explore the context and avoid assumptions Change their minds, Re-plan Be able to justify what they are doing, in terms of the context as they perceive it, not in calls to authority Know their techniques and practices assumptions, presuppositions, pros & cons

I Ceased my evil ways, over time, kind of

NLP and Testing are related

Questioning Modelling Communication Effectiveness Attitude Synthesis Knowledge Systems

Literalism Identify Ambiguity Honesty

3 NLP Techniques
That can help you change your testing process.

Modelling States Meta-Model

Modelling

Most techniques and tools of NLP have been derived through Modelling

The NLP modeling process involves finding out about how the brain (Neuro) is operating by analyzing language patterns (Linguistic) and nonverbal communication. The results of this analysis are then put into step-by-step strategies or programs (Programming) that may be used to transfer the skill to other people and areas of application.
Modeling with NLP, Robert Dilts Meta Publishing, 1998

Attributes vs States

Attributes Person has Context? IS of identity

States Person feels Context State

Behaviour

Make a difference to your testing by identifying the most effective states for you. And generate them.

Meta-Model
Nominalization Cause and Effect Mind Reading Complex Equivalence Lost Performative Simple Deletion

Distortion

Deletion

Comparative Deletion Lack of Referential Index Unspecified Verb

Meta Model
Universal Quantifier Modal Operators Presuppositions

Generalization

Transformations (Distortion, Deletion, Generalization) can create ambiguity Identify Ambiguity (in the system, in the docs, in the communication) and target it with questions (Tests, Challenges)

Example Meta-Model Application

LP CE

Effect SD (1) MO UV (1) SD (2)

Cause SD (3) SD (4) UV (2)

"The daily trade file must be processed in under 5 seconds when the system starts up"

Processed by what? How? Daily trade file contains what? From where? 5 seconds based on what? Starts up? How, When, How often?

Learning NLP
Visit www.compendiumdev.co.uk/nlp Read the early books
Structure of magic vols 1 & 2
(Bandler and Grinder)

www.purenlp.com www.richardbandler.tv www.paulmckenna.com www.saladltd.co.uk www.nlp.biz/NLP

Read These Authors:

Richard Bandler Robert Dilts