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 its traditional manner. When individuals encounter a problem, they often fail to see alternative uses for familiar items because their minds are fixed on the object's typical function. This rigidity can hinder creative problem-solving, as people overlook novel solutions that require repurposing common objects. Overcoming functional fixedness involves breaking mental set and considering unconventional applications for everyday tools.

Professor: To illustrate functional fixedness, consider a classic experiment. Participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and a book of matches, and asked to attach the candle to a wall so it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. Many struggled because they saw the box only as a container for thumbtacks. However, the solution was to empty the box, tack it to the wall, and place the candle inside it. Those who succeeded had to overcome the fixed idea that a box is just for holding things. In another version, when the thumbtacks were presented separately from the box, participants solved it more easily because the box was not perceived as a container, showing how functional fixedness blocks insight.