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 uses for familiar items, thereby hindering problem-solving. The term was introduced by Gestalt psychologist Karl Duncker, who demonstrated that people often fail to see novel functions of objects when they are fixated on their usual purpose. Overcoming functional fixedness requires creative thinking and the ability to reframe the problem.

Professor: Let me illustrate this with a classic experiment. In Duncker's candle problem, participants were given a box of tacks, a candle, and matches, and asked to attach the candle to the wall so it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. Many struggled. They tried to tack the candle directly to the wall or melt wax to stick it, but these failed. The solution was to empty the tack box, tack it to the wall, and use it as a platform for the candle. The reason people failed initially is functional fixedness: they saw the box only as a container for tacks, not as a potential shelf. Once they overcame that mental block, the solution became obvious.