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 faced with a problem, individuals often fail to see alternative uses for familiar items because their minds are fixed on the object's typical function. This mental block can hinder creative problem-solving. Overcoming functional fixedness requires reinterpreting an object's properties beyond its usual purpose, allowing for novel solutions to emerge.

Professor: Let me illustrate this with a classic experiment. Participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and a book of matches. Their task was to attach the candle to a wall so that it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. Many struggled. They tried nailing the candle to the wall or melting wax to stick it, but nothing worked. The solution was to empty the thumbtack box, tack it to the wall as a small platform, and place the candle inside it. The key was seeing the box not just as a container for thumbtacks, but as a potential shelf. Those who succeeded overcame functional fixedness by breaking the box's typical role. Once they realized the box could be repurposed, the solution became obvious.