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Functional fixedness

Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias that limits a person to use an object only in the way it is traditionally used. The concept of functional fixedness originated in Gestalt psychology, a movement in psychology that emphasizes holistic processing. Karl Duncker defined functional fixedness as being a mental block against using an object in a new way…

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Candle problemStanford UniversityNorman MaierFirst-personSputnik crisis
11 related topics

Current conceptual relevance

CultureShuar
2 related topics

Techniques to avoid functional fixedness

Analogical transferQuicksort
2 related topics

Overview

Cognitive biasGestalt psychologyHolisticKarl DunckerMental block
6 related topics

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Overview

Examples in research

Current conceptual relevance

Techniques to avoid functional fixedness

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Map overview Semantic statistics

Functional fixedness

Nodes26
Edges25
Triples75
Avg. degree1.92
Density0.076923
Components1

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Functional fixedness

Top relations

related to Barometer question · 20
Functional fixedness → Alexander Calandra, American, American College Public Relations, Angels, Association, Calandra, Calandra's, Calandra's The Teaching, Contrary, Current Science, Elementary Science, In, It, Mathematics, Pin, Pride, Saturday Review, Sputnik, The, These
related to Candle box · 11
Functional fixedness → Duncker, For, Frank, In, In Duncker's, More, Ramscar, Stanford University, The, Very, When
related to Generic parts technique · 11
Functional fixedness → As, Can, Does, For, If, McCaffrey, People, Since, So, The, This
related to Overcoming prototypes · 9
Functional fixedness → After, Carnevale, Conversely, In, Individuals, Reorganization, Therefore, This, Those
related to The two-cord problem · 8
Functional fixedness → Birch, Group, Norman Maier, Participants, Rabinowitz, The, Their, When
related to Universality · 6
Functional fixedness → Amazon, Ecuador, In, Researchers, Shuar, The
related to Uncommitting · 5
Functional fixedness → Latour, One, Part, This, To
related to In science classrooms with analogical transfer · 4
Functional fixedness → Based, Duncker's, Students, The
is a · 1
Functional fixedness → cognitive bias that limits a person to use an object only in the way it is traditionally used

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Important terminology

functional fixedness problem use participants object students box design used presented two study function experiment solve task solving using purpose

Entity relationships Subject–Predicate–Object triples

SubjectPredicateObjectConfidenceSrc
Functional fixednessis acognitive bias that limits a person to use an object only in the way it is traditionally used0.90text
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionThe0.60section
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionIn0.60section
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionAmerican0.60section
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionAlexander Calandra0.60section
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionContrary0.60section
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionThese0.60section
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionCalandra0.60section
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionSputnik0.60section
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionCalandra's0.60section
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionAngels0.60section
Functional fixednessrelated to Barometer questionPin0.60section

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