Functional Fixedness
We are unable to see an object being used for any purpose other than the one for which it was designed.
Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used. It is an obstacle to problem solving: when participants cannot see past the conventional use of an object, they fail to use it in novel ways that would solve the problem. It was first described by Gestalt psychologist Karl Duncker in 1945 in his famous candle problem.
What it looks like in the wild.
- Everyday life The Candle Problem When asked to mount a candle on a wall using only the candle, matches, and a box of tacks, most people fail to see that the tack box itself can be used as a shelf — trapped by its conventional function as a container.
Recognising a definition is not the same skill as spotting it.
Two scenarios from the app, with distractors drawn from the same family of biases — which is what makes them hard.
During a move, Zoe needs to protect a fragile vase. She has a thick, clean sock but won't use it as padding because 'socks are for wearing, not for wrapping delicate things.'
A teacher needs to create a barrier to separate two groups of students in a hallway. They have a long bulletin board but won't use it because 'that's for posting announcements, not for dividing space.'
Biases rarely arrive alone.
Understand more. Assume less.
188 biases, 18,869 scenarios, and a record of how you actually decide.
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