Gonzalo is attempting to open his car door using the auto lock button on his keychain. He pushes the button twice, but his car door does not open. He continues to push the button even though it is likely that the auto lock feature has stopped working, and he will need to open the door manually with his key. This illustrates a ________.
A) confirmation bias
B) functional fixedness
C) hindsight bias
D) mental set

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Gonzalo's repeated attempts to open his car door using the auto lock button, despite its failure, illustrate a mental set, which is a tendency to approach situations in a certain way because that method has worked in the past.

Gonzalo Is Attempting to Open His Car Door Using the Auto