Editing Problem solving (section)

===Functional fixedness===
{{Main|Functional fixedness}}

Functional fixedness is the tendency to view an object as having only one function, and to be unable to conceive of any novel use, as in the Maier pliers experiment described above. Functional fixedness is a specific form of mental set, and is one of the most common forms of cognitive bias in daily life.

As an example, imagine a man wants to kill a bug in his house, but the only thing at hand is a can of air freshener. He may start searching for something to kill the bug instead of squashing it with the can, thinking only of its main function of deodorizing.

Tim German and Clark Barrett describe this barrier: "subjects become 'fixed' on the design function of the objects, and problem solving suffers relative to control conditions in which the object's function is not demonstrated."<ref>{{cite journal | last1=German | first1=Tim P. | last2=Barrett | first2=H. Clark | title=Functional Fixedness in a Technologically Sparse Culture | journal=Psychological Science | publisher=SAGE Publications | volume=16 | issue=1 | year=2005 | issn=0956-7976 | doi=10.1111/j.0956-7976.2005.00771.x | pages=1–5| pmid=15660843 | s2cid=1833823 }}</ref> Their research found that young children's limited knowledge of an object's intended function reduces this barrier<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = German | first1 = Tim P. | last2 = Defeyter | first2 = Margaret A. | year = 2000| title = Immunity to functional fixedness in young children | journal = Psychonomic Bulletin and Review | volume = 7 | issue = 4| pages = 707–712| doi = 10.3758/BF03213010 | pmid = 11206213 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Research has also discovered functional fixedness in educational contexts, as an obstacle to understanding: "functional fixedness may be found in learning concepts as well as in solving chemistry problems."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Furio |first1=C. |last2=Calatayud |first2=M. L. |last3=Baracenas |first3=S. |last4=Padilla |first4=O. |year=2000 |title=Functional fixedness and functional reduction as common sense reasonings in chemical equilibrium and in geometry and polarity of molecules|journal=Science Education |volume=84 |issue=5 |pages=545–565 |doi=10.1002/1098-237X(200009)84:5<545::AID-SCE1>3.0.CO;2-1|bibcode=2000SciEd..84..545F }}</ref>

There are several hypotheses in regards to how functional fixedness relates to problem solving.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Adamson |first1=Robert E |year=1952 |title=Functional fixedness as related to problem solving: A repetition of three experiments |journal=Journal of Experimental Psychology |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=288–291 |doi=10.1037/h0062487|pmid=13000071 }}</ref> It may waste time, delaying or entirely preventing the correct use of a tool.