When Adrian's computer would not respond to commands from the wireless keyboard, he tried restarting the computer, as that strategy had worked in the past. After several tries, the keyboard still did not work so he gave up and called a computer repair service. A technician easily solved the problem: The batteries in the wireless keyboard needed to be replaced. Adrian's inability to solve the problem on his own had been hampered by his:
A)functional fixedness.
B)use of an incorrect algorithm.
C)mental set.
D)decision-making strategy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Adrian's inability to solve the problem on his own was due to his mental set, or his tendency to approach the problem in a certain way based on his past experiences. He had previously fixed the problem by restarting the computer, so this mental set prevented him from considering other potential solutions, such as checking the batteries in the keyboard.

When Adrian's Computer Would Not Respond to Commands from the Wireless