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 its traditional manner. This mental block prevents individuals from recognizing alternative uses for familiar items, thereby hindering problem-solving and creative thinking. Functional fixedness often arises when past experiences or cultural norms strongly associate an object with a specific function, making it difficult to perceive novel applications. Overcoming this bias requires deliberate effort to reframe one’s perception of the object’s potential.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a classic experiment. Participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and a book of matches, and were asked to attach the candle to a wall so it could burn properly. Many participants struggled. They tried to tack the candle directly to the wall, or melt wax to stick it, but nothing worked. The solution was to empty the box, tack the box to the wall, and place the candle inside it. The key was to see the box not just as a container for thumbtacks, but as a platform. Because participants were fixated on the box’s typical function—holding tacks—they failed to think of using it as a candle holder. Once they overcame that mental block, the solution became obvious.