托福口语 Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'functional fixedness' refers to the tendency to perceive objects only in terms of their most common or traditional uses, thereby limiting one's ability to think of alternative functions. This cognitive bias can hinder problem-solving because individuals fail to see novel ways to utilize familiar items. Overcoming functional fixedness often requires a mental shift to consider an object's properties beyond its usual purpose, enabling creative solutions to challenges.

Professor: Let me illustrate functional fixedness with a classic experiment. Participants were given a candle, a box of tacks, and a matchbook, and asked to attach the candle to a wall so it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. Many tried to melt the candle or tack it directly, but failed. The solution was to empty the tack box, tack it to the wall as a shelf, and place the candle inside. However, most participants couldn't see the box as anything but a container for tacks—that's functional fixedness. In a second group, the tacks were presented separately from the box, and nearly everyone solved the problem quickly, because the box was no longer tied to its usual role.