(To participate in this test, first read "7 Simple Saving Secrets Every 401k Investor Should Know" and then read "The Ten 'Don't's of 401k Investing" – but you can wait to read them until you're done with this article.)

For now, consider this story.

When I was in fifth grade, our teacher often would let us go outside and play kickball if we got our work done early. Sometimes, in the anticipation of the event, a classmate would ask, a bit prematurely, "Are you going to let us go out and play kickball?"

My teacher would invariably respond, "By asking me, you just gave me a million reasons to say, 'no.""

Some people repel at the thought of being told what to do. This is usually the standard modus operandi for children going through a certain age. You know what I mean. If you want a kid to do something, tell him to do the opposite. I've heard people call this "child psychology" or "reverse psychology." This behavior pattern disappears as we grow older and discover the folly of predictable rebellion. Still, some adults retain a vestige of this and prefer not to be told what to do.

Despite this aversion, most adults do exhibit a self-preservation urge that elevates the importance of knowing what could be harmful to them. This allows them to regularly avoid these dangers. (Who knows? It might be that most adults have this tendency because those that didn't never survived into adulthood.) For these people, a list of "don'ts" takes on far greater importance than a list of "do's."

Another way to look at this is to overlay the classic fear and greed dichotomy on top of it. One might say those motivated by fear are more likely to abide a list of "don'ts" while those motivated by greed will take more kindly to a list of "do's." The beauty of this debate is that there's no reason to limit yourself to one type of list or another. If you're working with a typical 401(k) plan, you'll have a number of employees who'll need to be motivated. Some will be motivated by "do's." Some will be motivated by "don'ts." You don't need a PhD in psychology because you don't need to know which list motivates which people. Use both. The employees will decide for themselves which they prefer.

So take a look at the two articles referenced earlier. Read them both. Which article did you personally find more motivating? Is that consistent with your general preference for "Do's" and "Don'ts" list? Share your answers in the comment section below. Do it or Don't not do it. It doesn't matter to me. You get to pick your own poison.