托福口语 Task 3

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 alternative uses for familiar objects, thereby hindering problem-solving and creativity. When faced with a novel challenge, people often fail to think beyond an object’s standard function, even when a creative solution is possible. Overcoming functional fixedness requires deliberately re-examining an object’s properties and potential applications beyond its usual role.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example from a psychology 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 without dripping wax onto the floor. Many people tried to melt the candle and stick it to the wall, or use the thumbtacks directly to pin the candle to the wall—both failed. The solution was to empty the box, tack the box to the wall, and place the candle inside the box. The problem was that participants saw the box only as a container for thumbtacks, not as a potential shelf. This is functional fixedness in action—they were stuck on the box's typical function as a holder, so they couldn't see its use as a platform. Only when they overcame that mental block could they solve the problem.