托福口语 Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'functional fixedness' refers to the tendency to perceive an object only in terms of its most common use, thereby limiting the ability to think of alternative functions. This cognitive bias often hinders problem-solving because individuals fail to see beyond the conventional purpose of a familiar item. Overcoming functional fixedness requires creative thinking and the ability to restructure one's mental representation of the object's potential uses.

Professor: Now, let me give you a classic example. In a psychology experiment, participants were asked to fix a candle to a wall so that it would burn without dripping wax on the floor. They were given a box of thumbtacks, matches, and a candle. Most people tried to tack the candle directly to the wall or melt wax to stick it, but failed. The key was to empty the box, tack it to the wall, and place the candle inside. The box was initially seen only as a container for thumbtacks, not as a platform. Because of functional fixedness, participants couldn't see the box's alternative use as a shelf. Only when they overcame that bias did they solve the problem.