When Adrian's computer would not respond to commands from the wireless keyboard, he tried restarting the computer, as that strategy had worked in the past. After several tries, the keyboard still did not work, so he gave up and called a computer repair service. A technician easily solved the problem: the batteries in the wireless keyboard needed to be replaced. Adrian's inability to solve the problem on his own had been hampered by his:
A) functional fixedness.
B) use of an incorrect algorithm.
C) mental set.
D) decision-making strategy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Adrian was hindered by his mental set, which is the tendency to approach problems in a habitual way based on past experiences and preconceptions. He had previously solved issues with the keyboard by restarting his computer, but this time that strategy did not work. He was unable to think outside of his usual problem-solving approach and consider other potential causes for the issue.

When Adrian's Computer Would Not Respond to Commands from the Wireless