托福口语 Task 3

The concept of 'functional fixedness' refers to a cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in its traditional manner, thus preventing them from thinking of novel uses for that object. This mental block often hinders problem-solving because individuals fail to see beyond an object's familiar function. Overcoming functional fixedness requires creative thinking and the ability to reframe the problem, allowing alternative functions to emerge.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a classic psychology experiment. Participants were given a candle, a box of thumbtacks, and a book of matches. Their task was to attach the candle to a wall so that it could burn properly. Many participants tried to tack the candle directly to the wall or melt wax to stick it, but they failed. The solution was to empty the thumbtack box, tack it to the wall, and place the candle inside it. The reason many struggled was that they saw the box only as a container for thumbtacks—not as a potential platform. This is functional fixedness in action. Once they realized the box could serve a different purpose, the problem was easily solved.