One day at work, Pauline's earring fell on the floor and she was unable to find the back. To keep from losing her earing, Pauline reinserted it and used part of a pencil eraser to keep the earring in place. Using a pencil eraser as a temporary earing back showed that Pauline overcame
A) a mental set.
B) functional fixedness.
C) confirmation bias.
D) transformation bias.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Functional fixedness is the tendency to think of objects only in their traditional, customary ways and not to see them in new ways or unconventional functions. By using a pencil eraser as a temporary earring back, Pauline demonstrated a creative solution to her problem and overcame functional fixedness.

One Day at Work, Pauline's Earring Fell on the Floor