I think there is a fair bit of discussion on software fragility under the rubric of "robust" software in the SE literature -- sort of the negative space of what you are looking for, but within that topic, causes of fragility are examined.

Sussman wrote an essay in 2007 called "Building Robust Systems" https://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/users/gjs/essays/robust-sys... it's not study, admittedly, but an example of the term under which you might find what you're seeking.