托福口语 Task 3

The concept of 'functional fixedness' refers to the tendency of individuals to see objects only in their traditional or familiar roles, which limits their ability to use those objects in novel or creative ways. This cognitive bias can hinder problem-solving because people fail to recognize alternative functions for familiar items. Overcoming functional fixedness often requires a mental shift, allowing one to repurpose everyday objects to solve unexpected challenges.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a classic psychology experiment. Participants were given a box of thumbtacks, a candle, and a matchbox, and asked to attach the candle to the wall so it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. Many struggled because they saw the matchbox only as a container for thumbtacks. But the solution was to empty the box, tack it to the wall, and place the candle inside it. Those who succeeded had to break their mental set and view the box as a platform, not just a container. This illustrates how functional fixedness blocks creative solutions, and once you overcome it, the problem becomes simple.