A loose screw on the visor causes it to drop down while Ben drives; however, he keeps forgetting to take a screwdriver out to the car to fix it. When he notices the visor drop again, he reaches into his pocket for a dime he then uses to tighten the screw holding the visor. What problem-solving difficulty did Ben overcome?
A) relative comparison
B) functional fixedness
C) poor problem representation
D) the representative heuristic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ben overcame functional fixedness, which is the tendency to think of an object only in terms of its typical use. He was able to think creatively and use a dime to tighten the screw instead of a screwdriver, which is the typical tool for the task.

A Loose Screw on the Visor Causes It to Drop