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 seeing alternative uses for familiar objects, thereby hindering problem-solving and creativity. Functional fixedness often arises because people develop a mental set, or a fixed way of thinking about an object's function, which they fail to break away from when faced with novel challenges.

Professor: So, let me give you an example from a classic experiment. Participants were asked to mount a candle on a wall so it could burn properly. They were given a box of tacks, a book of matches, and a candle. Most people tried to tack the candle directly to the wall or melt wax to stick it, but that didn't work. The solution was to empty the tack box, tack it to the wall, and use it as a platform for the candle. But many failed because they saw the box only as a container for tacks, not as a potential shelf. This is functional fixedness—they couldn't think beyond the box's usual role. Once someone suggested using the box as a platform, they realized the alternative, but initially, their minds were fixed on its conventional function as a holder.