Alyssa uses a shoe as a hammer and a butter knife as a screwdriver while making several minor household repairs.Which of the following statements best characterizes Alyssa's problem solving?
A) She is constrained by a powerful mental set.
B) She has been released from functional fixedness.
C) She is taking advantage of the representative heuristic.
D) She is forming subgoals.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Alyssa is demonstrating the ability to overcome functional fixedness, which is the tendency to think of objects in terms of their typical functions. Using a shoe as a hammer and a butter knife as a screwdriver shows that she is able to re-conceptualize the objects and use them in a different way than their typical function. This demonstrates creative problem solving.

Alyssa Uses a Shoe as a Hammer and a Butter