Question

When Jean-Claude came back from skiing he wanted to brew a cup of coffee. Because he was out of coffee filters, he settled for tea. Jean-Claude's failure to realize he could use a paper towel as a coffee filter best illustrates:________.

a) a mental set.
b) intuition.
c) functional fixedness.
d) the availability heuristic.

Answer 1

The correct answer is: c. Functional fixedness.

Step-by-step explanation:

Functional fixedness can be understood as the cognitive bias that occurs when an individual is only able to use a specific object in its traditional way.

A person without functional fixedness understands that certain objects can be used in multiple and novel ways. For instance, a person using a debit card as a ruler, or a person using his backpack as an umbrella when it starts raining.

In this particular case, the fact that Jean Claude's is not able to realize that he could've used a paper towel as a coffee filter is an example of functional fixedness.

The correct answer is: c.

Answer 2

Functional Fixedness

Step-by-step explanation:

Functional fixity is a herd mentality that prevents an individual from using an item except in the manner that it is usually used, it is an inability to see new uses for a common object.

Jean-Claude wanted to make coffee but because he was out of coffee filters, he settled for tea,Jean-Claude's failure to realize he could use a paper towel as a coffee filter best illustrates FUNCTIONAL FIXEDNESS , he thinks paper towel is only meant for the normal traditional/standard purpose, he failed to recognize he can use it as a substitute for other purposes.

Functional Fixedness is a mental barrier against the use of an idea in a new way essential to solve a problem.