Making several minor household repairs,Alyssa uses a shoe as a hammer and a butter knife as a screwdriver.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 in a period of incubation.
D) She is forming subgoals.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Alyssa has overcome functional fixedness, which is the tendency to think of objects only in terms of their typical uses. By using a shoe as a hammer and a butter knife as a screwdriver, she is thinking creatively and using objects in non-traditional ways to solve a problem.

Making Several Minor Household Repairs,Alyssa Uses a Shoe as a Hammer