Applicability of three cognitive complexity metrics

Abstract

A number of complexity metrics has been proposed in the past. However, only a few studies have been conducted to test the relationship between those proposed complexity metrics and their applicability in the real world. To identify the effectiveness and the practicality of a metric a number of evaluation frameworks have been proposed. Out of them, the frameworks proposed by Weyuker and Briand et al are the most widely used ones. The few studies that have been conducted to assess the applicability of a complexity metric have also used the five properties proposed by Briand et al. However, testing the practical applicability of a complexity metric via a theoretical framework is not sufficient enough to determine whether it can be actually useful in the real world. Hence, an attempt was taken to test the relationship between three cognitive complexity metrics: Shao and Wangs' cognitive functional size (CFS), Kushwaha and Misra cognitive information complexity measure (CICM) and Misra's cognitive weight complexity measure (CWCM) and suggest which is the best metric that can be used in the real world.