托福口语 Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'functional fixedness' refers to a cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used. This mental block prevents individuals from imagining alternative functions for familiar objects, thereby hindering creative problem-solving. When faced with a new challenge, people often fail to see beyond the intended purpose of an item, even if using it differently could solve the problem effectively. Overcoming functional fixedness requires conscious effort to think abstractly about an object's properties rather than its typical role.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example from a study. Participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and a book of matches, and asked to attach the candle to a wall so that it would burn without dripping wax on the floor. Many people tried to tack the candle directly to the wall or melt wax to stick it, but both failed. The solution was to empty the thumbtack box, tack the box to the wall as a platform, and then place the candle inside it. The participants who succeeded were those who realized the box wasn't just a container for thumbtacks—it could also serve as a shelf. This demonstrates functional fixedness because they initially saw the box only as a holder, not as a potential support.