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 imagining alternative functions for familiar objects, thereby hindering problem-solving and creativity. Functional fixedness often arises when people are so accustomed to an object’s standard purpose that they fail to see its potential in novel contexts.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example. In an experiment, participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and a book of matches. Their task was to attach the candle to a wall so that it could burn properly without dripping wax on the floor. Many participants struggled. They tried to tack the candle directly to the wall, or melt wax to stick it, but nothing worked. However, the solution was simple: empty the thumbtack box, tack it to the wall as a small shelf, and place the candle inside it. The participants failed because they saw the box only as a container for thumbtacks, not as a potential platform. This is functional fixedness in action.