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 imagine alternative functions. This cognitive bias hinders problem-solving because individuals fail to see novel ways to utilize familiar items. Overcoming functional fixedness requires a mental shift, often achieved by deliberately considering unconventional properties or contexts for objects.

Professor: Let me illustrate this with a classic experiment. Participants were given a box of tacks, a candle, and a match, and asked to attach the candle to a wall so it could burn properly. Most struggled. They tried to nail the candle directly or melt wax to stick it—all failed. The solution was to empty the tack box, tack it to the wall as a shelf, and place the candle inside. But many couldn't see the box as anything but a container for tacks—that's functional fixedness. In another group, the tacks were presented separately from the box. Those participants solved the problem much faster because they saw the box as a potential platform, not just a holder. So, when the typical function is highlighted, the mind gets 'stuck'.