TOEFL Speaking Task 3

In psychology, 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 novel uses for familiar objects, thereby hindering problem-solving. Functional fixedness occurs when past experiences and learned schemas constrain creative thinking, making it difficult to approach a problem from a fresh perspective. Overcoming this bias often requires deliberately reframing the object's potential functions.

Professor: So, let me give you a classic example from a study. Participants were given a candle, a box of tacks, 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 people tried to tack the candle directly to the wall, but it didn't work. Others tried to melt the wax with the matches to stick it, but that also failed. The solution was to empty the tack box, tack it to the wall as a platform, and place the candle inside. However, most participants couldn't see the box as anything but a container for tacks. They were fixated on its typical function. Only when the experimenter removed the tacks and left the box empty did some participants suddenly realize they could use it as a holder. This clearly shows functional fixedness—the box's usual role blocked their ability to see it as a support.