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 seeing novel uses for familiar items, thereby hindering problem-solving. Functional fixedness occurs when the intended function of an object overshadows other possible applications, making it difficult to think creatively. Overcoming this bias often requires deliberate effort to re-evaluate the properties and potential uses of objects beyond their typical roles.

Professor: Let me illustrate this with a classic experiment. Participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and a book of matches, and asked to attach the candle to the wall so that it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. Many struggled. The solution was to empty the thumbtack box, tack it to the wall, and use it as a shelf for the candle. Those who saw the box merely as a container for tacks—its typical function—couldn't think of using it as a platform. But participants who were given the tacks separately from the box were more likely to solve the problem quickly. This shows how functional fixedness blocks creative thinking when we fixate on an object's usual role.