Introduction
The problem-solving attribute forms the main difference between human beings and other animals. However, the ability of human beings to solve problems can be limited by impairment of cognitive thinking which reduces a person’s creativity. The condition where people lack creativity in solving various life problems is referred to as functional fixedness. People who suffer from functional fixedness view objects as usable for a single purpose only. Functional fixedness sometimes impairs an individual’s abstract thinking which limits their ability to form unique solutions to the problems they encounter on daily basis.
Personal experience with Functional Fixedness
One day, I noticed the door to my bedroom was hanging loose due to untightened screws holding the hinge. Therefore, I needed a flat-edged screwdriver to fix the problem by tightening the screws holding the hinge. However, I found it impossible to solve the problem mentioned above because I could not find the specific screwdriver I was looking for in my toolbox. As a result, it took me several days before getting an idea from my cousin that I could have used a kitchen knife as an alternative to the flat-edged screwdriver.
Generic Part Technique as Solution to Functional Fixedness
Finding solutions to the problem of functional fixedness can help an individual in identifying several problem-solving possibilities. The generic Parts Technique enables an individual to have a deep insight into an object in terms of its parts and not as a single unit (McCaffrey, 2012). As a result, people with functional fixedness can open up their minds to several purposes that an object can serve whether as a whole or in parts. For instance, a kitchen knife can be used as a screwdriver, a defense weapon, and not only as cutlery.
Conclusion
In conclusion, functional fixedness is a condition that impairs the creativity of an individual making the unable to find alternative ways of solving problems. For example, the condition mentioned above limited my thinking when I was faced with the problem of repairing my door such that I could not figure out that a knife can work as a screwdriver. The application of Generic Part Technique can help individuals to alleviate their functional fixedness condition and become creative when they encounter problems. The above technique helps an individual to brainstorm and identify various functions an object can perform except the obvious one.
Reference
McCaffrey, T. (2012). Innovation relies on the obscure: A key to overcoming the classic problem of functional fixedness. Psychological science, 23(3), 215-218. Web.