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. This mental block prevents individuals from imagining alternative uses for familiar items, thereby hindering problem-solving and creative thinking. When faced with a challenge, people often overlook novel solutions because they are fixated on an object's intended function. Overcoming functional fixedness requires actively re-evaluating objects and their potential roles, which can lead to innovative approaches.

Professor: Let me illustrate this with a classic experiment. Participants were given a candle, a box of tacks, and a matchbook, and they were asked to attach the candle to a wall so that it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. Many struggled because they fixated on the box as merely a container for tacks. They tried to tack the candle directly or melt wax to stick it, but failed. The solution, however, was to empty the box, tack it to the wall as a small shelf, and place the candle inside. Those who saw the box as a holder for tacks were stuck—they couldn't think of it as a platform. This shows how functional fixedness blinds us to creative uses of familiar objects.