Jason is looking down at the tiny vent holes on his laptop computer, and notices how dusty they have become. When blowing on the holes does not clear the dust from them, he takes a paper clip and unbends it. He then uses the straight ends to clear the dust from each of the vent holes. Although this takes a bit of time, he is pleased with the overall result. Jason's ability to look at the paper clip and see something other than holding papers together illustrates that he has overcome _____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used. Jason's use of a paper clip for cleaning instead of just holding papers shows he has overcome this bias.

Jason Is Looking Down at the Tiny Vent Holes on His