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 the way it is traditionally used. This mental block prevents individuals from realizing that an object can serve multiple purposes, thereby hindering creative problem-solving. Functional fixedness often arises from past experiences and learned schemas, which create rigid associations between objects and their typical functions. Overcoming this bias requires flexible thinking and the ability to reframe an object’s potential uses beyond its conventional role.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example from a study by Karl Duncker. Participants were given a box of tacks, 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 onto the floor. Many participants tried to tack the candle directly to the wall or melt the wax to stick it, but these failed. The solution was to empty the tack box, tack it to the wall as a platform, and place the candle inside it. However, most people struggled because they saw the box only as a container for tacks, not as a potential shelf. This demonstrates functional fixedness—they couldn't break the mental set that the box's function was solely to hold tacks.