Why Is It Hard For Us To Think Outside The Box - Functional Fixedness

A Bit of Life Update

Remember when writing was like breathing? Turns out I've been exhaling my commitments for a bit over two months! Life had other plots.

Quick update: I've re-located to Bali (cityscapes traded for sunset waves), juggling new projects, and diving headfirst into AI.

My writing schedule? It took a sabbatical as a result.

I missed sharing my thoughts and what I learned, and I'm keen to get back to the flow.

So, let's get back to it.

Welcome to letter #14 of The Behaviorist

A newsletter that aims to make you a borderline behavioral scientist.

In other words, to expose mind games, outsmart others’ actions and stay one step ahead.

Each week, I drop a letter that unmasks one specific human behavior and bias to help you see how it works in your life and how others are using it.

The goal is to know how others might leverage that against you and take control so you can be aware and prepared.

NOTE - This email might be chipped due to length. Id encourage you to read it online by clicking the option above to get the full context. 

Let’s get going.

As always, I like to start my letters by setting the stage with a relatable scenario.

Imagine you're in your kitchen, preparing to hang a picture.

You realize you don't have a hammer, and the hardware stores are closed.

You scan the room, seeing a heavy metal meat tenderizer sitting in your drawer.

Yet somehow, your brain doesn't make the connection that this could work perfectly as a hammer.

Sounds familiar, right?

But when someone else walks in and immediately suggests using the meat tenderizer, you think "why didn't I think of that?"

Surprise! Youve had functional fixedness in action.

This isn't just about being unimaginative - it's a fascinating cognitive bias that affects how we perceive and use objects around us.

We become so fixed on an object's conventional use that we fail to see its potential in solving new problems.

In this post, you'll learn:

• What functional fixedness is and why our brains default to it

• The science behind this bias and its implications for problem-solving

• Real-world examples from business to everyday life

• Practical strategies to overcome this limitation in your thinking

• Bonus - A story of this bias being 10x magnified in impact

Bias of the Week - Functional Fixedness Bias

In simple terms:

Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias that limits our ability to use an object in a way different from its traditional or intended use. 

It's like wearing mental blinders that prevent us from seeing alternative possibilities for familiar items.

Psychologists have extensively examined this phenomenon since Karl Duncker introduced it in 1945 with his groundbreaking "candle problem" experiment.

In this task, participants received a candle, a box of thumbtacks, and matches, and were challenged to attach the candle to a wall without letting wax drip onto the floor.

Many participants overlooked the possibility of using the box as a platform for the candle, demonstrating a classic case of functional fixedness.

Consider the last time you needed to open a bottle but couldn't find a bottle opener.

Some of us may spend several minutes searching for one before realizing that everyday items like a ring, spoon, or even the edge of a table could serve the purpose just as well.

This illustrates how functional fixedness can hinder our problem-solving abilities in practical situations.

Although less frequently discussed than confirmation bias or the availability heuristic, research on functional fixedness has yielded intriguing insights into human cognition.

For instance, a study by German and Barrett (2005) found that even young children from technologically sparse cultures exhibit less functional fixedness than adults in industrialized societies.

This finding suggests that our modern environment, filled with specialized tools for every task, may inadvertently reduce our cognitive flexibility.

In a study by McCaffrey (2012), engineers faced technical challenges and those who could transcend functional fixedness were notably more successful in developing innovative solutions.

The implications of functional fixedness extend beyond simple problem-solving as you can tell by now. (More on this below).

Roots of The Functional Fixedness

Let's break down why we're so prone to this bias:

Cognitive Efficiency (Mental Shortcuts):

• Schemas and Scripts: our brains form strong associations with objects' primary functions.

  This happens because we develop mental schemas (organized patterns of thought about the world) and scripts (sequences of actions expected in a particular situation).

  These are vital for quick processing, but they also lead us to categorize objects rigidly.
  

• Reduced Cognitive Load: Constantly evaluating every object for all its potential uses would be incredibly draining.

  Functional fixedness is, in part, our brain's way of managing this cognitive load. We choose the most familiar path of least resistance.

Learning and Education:

• Lack of Divergent Thinking: Traditional education often emphasizes convergent thinking (finding the single "correct" answer) rather than divergent thinking (exploring multiple possibilities).

  This system can discourage the type of creative thinking necessary to overcome functional fixedness.
  

• "Tool-Based" Approach: We're often taught "this tool is for this task," which reinforces a one-to-one mapping rather than encouraging exploration of multiple potential applications.

Cultural Programming:

• Social Norms and Conventions: Culture sets expectations for how objects should be used.

  For example, we're conditioned to think of a hammer as a tool for driving nails, not for crushing rocks or as a paperweight.

  These norms are often implicit and learned early in life.

Evolutionary Advantage:

• Efficiency in Resource Use: In the past, sticking to known uses for resources could be the difference between survival and peril.
  Experimentation could be risky and time-consuming as you might imagine.
  

• Predictability and Stability: Relying on established patterns created a more predictable and stable environment, which aided us in survival and social structure.

Experience and Expertise:

• Entrenchment of Practices: While expertise brings deep knowledge, it can also lead us to an entrenchment in established practices and routines.
  Experts might become so focused on the "right" way to do things that they miss alternative solutions that are outside their typical approaches.
  

• Over-reliance on Existing Mental Models: The mental models that experts develop over time are powerful, but they can also act as a constraint when problem-solving in novel situations.

Adding Some Nuances:

• Context Matters: The environment can trigger or reduce functional fixedness.
  
  I think if we're in a setting that demands resourcefulness and creativity, we might be more likely to look beyond the intended function of objects.

Lets sum this up:

Functional fixedness is a complex phenomenon that arises from a combination of cognitive shortcuts, learning experiences, cultural norms, evolutionary pressures, and the development of expertise. 

Real-Life Examples of Functional Fixedness:

In Business:

Companies sticking to traditional business models even when market conditions change dramatically:

• Science-Based Insight: This is closely linked to organizational inertia and path dependence.
  Once a company has a successful business model, it develops routines, processes, and a culture that reinforces that model. This creates a powerful force against change.
  
  Cognitive dissonance also plays a role; people are resistant to admitting their previous models are no longer viable.

Example: Consider Blockbuster's failure to adapt to streaming, clinging to its physical rental store model. 

They knew about the rise of digital media (Netflix initially offered a DVD-by-mail service), but their ingrained focus on retail locations prevented them from innovating in time.

Businesses seeing their products only for their primary intended use, missing potential new markets or applications:

• Science-Based Insight: This relates to categorization bias.
  
  Companies develop strong mental categories for their products (e.g., "this is a toothpaste," "this is a printer"). These categories limit their ability to see the potential of the product outside its intended function.

Expanded Example: Think of baking soda, originally sold just as a leavening agent, that now has a myriad of uses (cleaning, deodorizing, etc.). 

Companies often miss these secondary functions that could unlock huge markets.

• Further Implications: This emphasizes the importance of customer-centricity and seeking to understand all the ways that a product can solve problems, not just its intended function.

• It also points to how serendipity can be a source of innovation, when businesses are open to it.

In Innovation:

Product developers missing opportunities to repurpose existing technologies for new applications:

Science-Based Insight: Here, the concept of latent potential is relevant.
Many technologies have hidden or underutilized potential for applications beyond their original purpose.

Example: The development of the microwave oven came from accidental discovery of the heating potential of microwave radiation from radar technology. Similarly, a lot of innovations come from repurposing existing tech.

• Further Implications: This highlights the importance of cross-disciplinary thinking, where technologies from one domain can be applied to another, and the importance of fostering a culture of experimentation that allows developers to play with and repurpose existing tech.

In Problem-Solving:

Crisis situations where we fail to use available resources creatively:

Science-Based Insight: High stress and time pressure in crisis situations often amplify functional fixedness because it encourages reliance on well-established patterns.
This is when our cognitive capacity can diminish, and we default to the easiest options.

Example: In survival situations, we may fail to see the many uses of a car beyond transportation (e.g., shelter, tool source) or fail to use unconventional resources effectively.

---

Example 2: Using a screwdriver to pry something open, despite a readily available crowbar, because the screwdriver is thought of primarily for driving screws.

• Further Implications: This underscores the value of preparedness, creative problem-solving training, and fostering an adaptive mindset that encourages exploration beyond established methods.

  
  Also, it also suggests that functional fixedness isn't reserved for complex problems, it is a tendency that we encounter regularly.

In Education:

Students struggling with math problems because they can't see multiple ways to apply familiar formulas:

• Science-Based Insight: This relates to the limitations of rote learning. When concepts are learned through rote memorization, it reinforces a narrow application of the formula inside our head rather than encouraging the exploration of diverse problem-solving strategies.

Example: Students may struggle with a word problem that requires a slight adaptation of a formula they know, because they cannot see beyond the way they were taught to use it.

---

Example 2: A teacher might continue to rely primarily on lectures when methods such as collaborative problem solving could be more engaging and effective for certain topics.

• Further Implications: This implies that conceptual understanding and teaching problem-solving skills that encourage students to adapt and apply their knowledge in flexible ways are key methods to avoid mental rigidness.

In Technology:

Early mobile phone companies failing to see their devices as potential cameras or internet browsers:

• Science-Based Insight: This is a classic example of market myopia driven by functional fixedness of what the existing product was meant to be.
  These companies were too focused on the function of making calls that they failed to foresee other possible functions.

Example: Early mobile phone manufacturers were primarily focused on voice communication, missing the potential of mobile devices as multi-functional tools that could access the internet, take photos and play games.

• Further Implications: This underscores the importance of future-focused thinking and an open-ended approach to technological innovation.

In Advertising:

Consumers may miss obvious alternative applications for a product due to functional fixedness reinforced by advertising

• Science-Based Insight: Advertising heavily relies on the principles of association and priming.
  By consistently showcasing a product being used in a specific way, advertisers create a strong mental link between the object and that particular function inside our head.
  This repeated exposure makes it more likely that we will experience functional fixedness.

Example: An add for a specific brand of cleaning wipes might only show them being used to clean kitchen counters. 

This reinforces the idea that they are only for kitchen surfaces, potentially leading consumers to miss the fact that they could be used to clean car dashboards, desks, or other areas that need quick sanitization.

• Further Implications This scenario applies to many products; our tendency is to be fixated on its primary use that advertisements highlight. This is especially true when the advertising is targeted towards specific use-cases.

Bias Buster - Overcoming Functional Fixedness

Deconstruction and Reassembly:

• Science Insight: This leverages the power of chunking and re-chunking. We tend to perceive objects as unified wholes.
  By breaking them down into their component parts (material, shape, functionality), we can then recombine them in new and unexpected ways.
  

• Application:

  • When faced with a problem, physically or mentally list the individual properties of the objects available.

  • Challenge the common functions of each component; could it be used for something else if separated from the whole?

  • Experiment with recombining these components in novel arrangements.
    

• Why it works: This process forces you to look beyond the object's established identity and focus on its fundamental attributes, promoting divergent thinking.

Analogical Reasoning:

• Science Insight: This is about leveraging transfer of learning. By finding analogies with similar situations or other domains, we can apply those ideas in new contexts and use those solutions to solve our current problem.

• Application:

  • When stuck, deliberately search for analogies: "Has something like this been solved in another field?"

  • Brainstorm similar situations, even in completely different fields, and see if the solution can be translated over.

  • Ask "what is this like?" rather than "what is this?".

• Why it works: This helps create a "cognitive bridge," transferring successful solutions or strategies from one context to another, bypassing the constraints of functional fixedness.

The "Purpose-Free" Approach:

• Science Insight: This technique plays with the concept of inhibiting default responses. By consciously suppressing the known purpose of an object, you can force your brain to explore alternatives.

• Application:

  • Look at an object and actively try not to think of its primary purpose.

  • Instead, focus on its physical properties: shape, size, material, texture.

  • Ask questions like: “What else can I do with this if I forget its normal use?”

• Why it works: It disrupts the automatic retrieval of the object's function from memory, allowing new, less obvious ideas to emerge.

Exposure to Diverse Experiences and Ideas:

• Science Insight: This relies on the principle of cognitive flexibility. A broader range of life experiences and knowledge leads to a more adaptable cognitive system.

• Application:

  • Seek out unfamiliar situations, domains, and perspectives.

  • Engage in cross-disciplinary learning to expose yourself to new ways of thinking.

  • Travel to new places, interact with diverse groups of people, and read widely.

• Why it works: Exposure to new concepts strengthens the connections between different cognitive domains, allowing us to see links and analogies that we might otherwise miss.

Deliberate Practice of Creative Thinking:

• Science Insight: This leverages the concept of neuroplasticity. Just like muscles, our brain can be strengthened by learning and doing new things.

  The easiest way to kickstart this is to brush your teeth next time with your inferior hand. Its weird at first, but I actually forgot to use my dominant hand after that.

• Application:

  • Practice brainstorming exercises that deliberately challenge functional fixedness (e.g., "30 uses for a paperclip").

  • Engage in lateral thinking exercises (e.g., "what if" scenarios). (There’s a YouTube channel called What If that you can check for interesting topics and thoughts on this).

  • Make time for playful experimentation without focusing on concrete outcomes.

• Why it works: Repeated practice of these methods improves divergent thinking and makes it easier to look beyond the typical uses for objects.

Cultivating a "Beginner's Mind":

• Science Insight: This approach leverages the power of reducing expert bias and thinking like a novice.

  Expert knowledge is helpful, but it can also create a filter that only allows certain ideas through.

  Approaching a problem with a sense of wonder and curiosity often helps to unblock new options.

• Application:

  • When faced with a problem, pretend you have never encountered the objects involved before.

  • Adopt a childlike sense of curiosity and explore the object's properties with fresh eyes.

  • Avoid relying on your pre-existing mental models of the object's function.

• Why it works: This encourages a fresh perspective, unburdened by prior assumptions and biases, which brings unconventional ideas to surface.

Externalize Your Thinking:

• Science Insight: This technique helps by leveraging the power of our working memory. By putting our ideas and thoughts outside of our head by means of writing, drawing or even talking, we are able to free up space to explore other ideas.

• Application:

  • Use visual tools: sketches, diagrams, mind maps or online tools to get your ideas outside of your head and visible.

  • Talk through the problem with some you like their thinking: their perspective may help you come up with alternate solutions.

  • Write down all the ideas and associations, as small as they may seem.

• Why it works: This helps to overcome the limitations of our working memory, and allows us to see alternative options.

Key Takeaways:

1. Functional fixedness is a learned cognitive bias, but it's not unconquerable. With effort and the right strategies, we can overcome it.

2. The key is to actively challenge our ingrained assumptions about objects and their uses.

3. Combining these science-backed techniques provides a powerful toolkit for cultivating more creative, adaptable, and innovative problem-solving.

4. This is not a one and done, this is about practice and adopting a mindset of learning and exploration.

Parting Words

Remember that it's not about being stuck in one way of thinking, t's about seeing beyond the obvious and explore new possibilities.

Overcoming functional fixedness is all about thinking laterally! It's like the opposite of straight thinking.

Until next time, stay free and flexible 🙂 

Leo

If you liked this, please share it with a friend to spread the word

The Recent Edgy Posts on The F-U Blog to Check