A subject who fails to see that the old doorknob in the box could be used as a weight to hang on the balance scale is exhibiting _____ in trying to solve the problem of weighing objects.
A)inductive thought
B)functional fixedness
C)a failure of short-term memory
D)disjunctive thinking

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias that limits a person to use an object only in its traditional function, and so the subject in this scenario is not able to see the doorknob as a weight due to functional fixedness.

A Subject Who Fails to See That the Old Doorknob