托福口语 Task 3

The concept of 'functional fixedness' refers to the tendency of individuals to perceive objects only in terms of their typical or intended functions, which can hinder problem-solving. When faced with a novel task, people often fail to see alternative uses for familiar objects because their mental representation of the object is rigidly tied to its conventional purpose. This cognitive bias limits creative thinking and can prevent finding simple solutions to everyday problems.

Professor: Let me illustrate this with a classic experiment. Participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and a book of matches, and asked to attach the candle to a wall so that it could burn properly. Many struggled. The solution was to empty the box, tack it to the wall, and place the candle inside. But participants fixated on the box as a container for thumbtacks, not as a potential shelf. In another group, the thumbtacks were presented separately from the box, so participants more easily saw the box's alternative function. This shows how functional fixedness blocks us from using objects in novel ways.