When Howie's old girlfriend used to get upset with him,he could smooth things over by buying flowers or chocolates for her.He keeps trying this strategy with his current girlfriend,but she gets angry with him each time.It appears that Howie has developed _______________,which is interfering with the development of a new relationship strategy.
A)a mental set
B)functional fixedness
C)a prototype
D)a representativeness heuristic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Howie has become fixed in his previous relationship strategy and is unable to adapt to a new approach with his current girlfriend. This inflexibility is an example of a mental set, which can interfere with problem-solving and decision-making. Functional fixedness refers to the tendency to only see an object in terms of its typical function or use, which is not applicable in this situation. A prototype and representativeness heuristic are not relevant to the scenario given.

When Howie's Old Girlfriend Used to Get Upset with Him,he