Marshmallows predict coding skills

Have you heard about how marshmallows can predict SAT scores?

A study done in the 70s tested the self-control of 4 year-olds. Each was left in a room alone with some marshmallows they were told not to eat until the researcher came back. Some kids couldn't even wait a minute before caving in and eating the marshmallows. Some covered their eyes or looked away or kicked the table. The more self-controlled kids waited over 15 minutes.

Thirteen years later, the researchers looked at these same kids' SAT scores. Those who waited longer had, on average, better scores by a couple hundred points than those who caved in quickly. The marshmallow predicted SAT scores more accurately than IQ tests that the kids had taken. Kids who demonstrated weak self-control with the marshmallows as 4 year-olds also experienced more behavioral problems.

I read about this research study in a few books, and I always interpreted it simply as a lesson about the importance of self-control, which is how the authors present it.

But here's an important factor that I just realized: the successful kids didn't just show self-control. They didn't sit and stare at the marshmallows and then demonstrate amazing willpower. They knew they'd be weak, so they took actions (covering their eyes, doing something else) to help them focus on the correct things (or, more accurately, not focus on the wrong thing).

Many times in software development, we rely on self-control to do the right thing. "After you code, refactor and clean it up." "While you're testing, make sure you come up with all the business cases."

The coding is treated as the main piece of business, and then when that's done, the developer should demonstrate amazing willpower, push through their fatigue and relief at finishing, and focus on quality.

Instead, we should know that we're weak, and make sure the focus on quality is built deeply into our routines. Practices like automated builds, daily production-quality check-ins, TDD help us address the important aspects of functional and structural quality, while eliminating the need for willpower.

Similarly, if certain activities make you less productive, don't just rely on personal determination to avoid them. Address the problem directly. If checking your email is a big distraction, then decide you will only do it once every half hour and set an alarm. Same goes for your blackberry. Most managers will readily accept any reasonable work pattern as long as you let them know, especially as your intention is to improve productivity.