Question

Heriberto hears that there is bad traffic on his route to work, but he takes that same route anyway hoping that he won't get stuck. He gets frustrated when he is in standstill traffic shortly after leaving his home and arrives at work 35 minutes late. Heriberto's use of the same route demonstrates __________.
A) functional fixedness
B) the representativeness heuristic
C) a mental set
D) salience of surface characteristics

Answer 1

Answer:

C) a mental set  

Explanation:

Heriberto hears that there is bad traffic on his route to work, but he takes that same route anyway hoping that he won't get stuck. He gets frustrated when he is in standstill traffic shortly after leaving his home and arrives at work 35 minutes late. Heriberto's use of the same route demonstrates a mental set.

A metal set is a phenomenon in which an individual get stuck in a particular problem solving strategy and hence, he/she is unable to think of alternative means of problem solving. It is a fixed thinking that inhibits individuals from seeing or applying alternative problem solving approaches.

Heriberto uses the same route despite the warning because he is unable to think of an alternative routes to work, he is demonstrating a mental set.