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 seeing alternative uses for familiar objects, thereby hindering creative problem-solving. When faced with a novel challenge, people often fail to think beyond an object's typical function, even if a simple alternative could solve the problem effectively. Overcoming functional fixedness requires a deliberate shift in perspective to recognize new possibilities for everyday items.

Professor: Let me illustrate this with a classic experiment. Participants were given a candle, a box of tacks, and a book of matches. Their task was to attach the candle to a wall so that it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. Most people tried to tack the candle directly to the wall or melt wax to stick it—both failed. The solution was to empty the tack box, tack the box to the wall, and place the candle inside it. Why couldn't they see it? Because they saw the box only as a container for tacks, not as a potential shelf. This is functional fixedness. Once someone pointed out the box's alternative use, it seemed obvious, but the initial mental block prevented them from seeing it.