TOEFL การพูด Task 3

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, thereby hindering creative problem-solving. This mental block prevents individuals from imagining alternative functions for familiar items. Psychologists argue that overcoming functional fixedness requires a deliberate shift in perspective, often leading to innovative solutions. The phenomenon is commonly studied in the context of problem-solving tasks, where participants fail to see novel uses for everyday objects.

Professor: So, let me give you a classic example. In a psychology experiment, participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and a match, and were asked to attach the candle to the wall so that it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. Many struggled. They tried to tack the candle directly to the wall, but it broke. Some tried to melt the wax to stick it, but that didn't hold. Then, the solution was to empty the thumbtack box, tack it to the wall as a platform, and place the candle inside. The problem was that participants saw the box only as a container, not as a potential shelf. Once they overcame that mental block, they solved it easily. This shows how functional fixedness limits our ability to see beyond an object's typical use.