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 or intended way. This mental block prevents individuals from seeing alternative uses for familiar items, thereby hindering creative problem-solving. When faced with a challenge, people often overlook unconventional solutions because they are fixated on an object's typical function. Overcoming functional fixedness requires a shift in perspective to recognize that objects can serve multiple purposes beyond their original design.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a classic experiment. Participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and matches, and asked to attach the candle to a wall so it could burn without dripping wax. Many tried nailing the candle to the wall or melting wax to stick it, but those failed. The solution was to empty the box, tack it to the wall, and place the candle inside. Why did they struggle? Because they saw the box only as a container for thumbtacks, not as a potential shelf. This illustrates functional fixedness—the participants were stuck on the box's usual role and couldn't see its alternative use. Once they reframed the box as a platform, the problem became easy to solve.