Question

Marisol was on the phone and had to jot down an important phone number. She rummaged through her purse for a pen, but all she found were a pair of tweezers and an old lipstick. Her failure to consider using the lipstick to write down the number is an example of__________________.

Answer 1

Answer:

The answer is functional fixedness.

Explanation:

Functional fixedness is described as the inability to use an object in a different way than usual. For example, a person looking for a pair of scissors to cut paper might not realise it's also possible to use a utility knife or even a ruler.

Studies show that very young children do not present functional fixedness. Instead, this phenomenon appears around age seven, when children learn to use objects "properly".