Previous research has attempted to predict the interruptibility of software developers using biophysical data to minimize interruptions at inopportune moments. We conducted an external, close replication of a well-known study that accurately predicted the interruptibility of software developers in lab settings. As such, we conducted ten one-on-one sessions, during which participants performed three code change tasks within a 60-minute programming session, frequently interrupted by a tablet app and monitored by biometric sensors. The original results did not generalize to our setting. We recommend replicating the original study conceptually.
Poreba et al. (Thu,) studied this question.