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 the way it is traditionally used. This mental block prevents individuals from seeing alternative uses for familiar objects, thereby hindering creative problem-solving. When faced with a novel problem, people often fail to recognize that a familiar item can serve an unconventional purpose, simply because they are 'fixed' on its typical function. Overcoming this bias requires a conscious effort to think beyond conventional uses.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example. In a psychology experiment, participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and a book of matches. Their task was to attach the candle to the wall so that it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. Many people tried to melt the wax and stick the candle directly to the wall, or to tack the candle to the wall—both failed. The solution was to empty the thumbtack box, tack it to the wall as a small shelf, and then place the candle inside it. Why did so many fail? Because they saw the box only as a container for thumbtacks, not as a potential shelf. This is functional fixedness: they were stuck on the box's usual role. Once someone realized the box could be used as a platform, the problem became easy.