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Developers are rational thinkers who take objective decisions. Yeah, sure. If that is the case, how can we disagree on so many things? Examples are all around. Why do Rubyists and Java developers despise each others' designs? Why do people try hard to fit static typing and distributed environments? Why do Windows programmers loathe the command line? Let me try answering these questions, with a few hints from cognitive psychology.
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In 'This is Your Brain on Software,' presented by Paolo "Nusco" Perrotta at the Ancient City Ruby 2013 event, the speaker delves into the complexities of learning programming languages and the cognitive biases influencing developers' decisions. He begins with personal anecdotes regarding his struggle to learn Clojure and reflects on why learning new languages remains a challenge despite experience. Key Points Discussed: - **Cognitive Processes**: Perrotta introduces a model that distinguishes between a low-level emotional 'kernel process' and a high-level logical 'application process' within the brain. The kernel process operates automatically and makes quick decisions based on emotions, while the application process is conscious and analytical but energy-consuming. - **Learning Challenges**: The speaker explains that learning a new programming language involves structure (syntax), toolsets, and philosophical design differences that may not align with a developer's prior experiences. - **Functional Fixedness**: Using the candle and box experiment, he illustrates how functional fixedness can impede creative problem-solving, a phenomenon often observed in developers when adapting to new tools and environments. - **Programming Mindsets**: Differences between programming communities, such as Java and Ruby developers, often lead to ethnocentric biases where each group considers their practices superior. These biases create misconceptions about the other technology's capabilities. - **Cognitive Biases**: Perrotta identifies various cognitive biases, including functional fixedness, linguistic relativity, ethnocentrism, and confirmation bias, explaining how these biases affect developers' abilities to understand and use new languages. - **Conclusion and Takeaways**: The key takeaway is that while developers see themselves as rational thinkers, they are inherently influenced by cognitive biases. Recognizing and managing these biases is crucial for effective learning and better decision-making in programming contexts. Perrotta emphasizes the need for humility and patience to cope with these biases in oneself and others as they navigate the complexities of programming languages. Ultimately, Perrotta leaves the audience with a provocative thought: that recognizing our cognitive limitations will allow for a more fruitful and empathetic learning journey in software development.
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