EPPP Psychology

Category - Cognitive-Affective Bases of Behavior

McGyver was quite skilled at using ordinary objects in ways other than their intended or typical use. In this way he was able to solve many problems that would have stumped others. One could say that McGyver was good at overcoming:
  1. Functional fixedness
  2. Mental set
  3. Algorithms
  4. Confirmation bias
Explanation
Answer: A - One could say that McGyver was good at overcoming functional fixedness.
Functional fixedness is the tendency to think of an object only in terms of its typical use. Because McGyver was able to use ordinary objects in unique ways, he was able to overcome functional fixedness. Closely related is the concept of “mental set,” where individuals become accustomed to solving problems in one way and when that way no longer works, they have difficulty shifting problem-solving patterns. Algorithms are rules that guarantee a solution to a problem if applied correctly. For example, the Pythagorean theorem (a2 + b2 = c2) is an algorithm. Finally, confirmation bias is the tendency for an individual to favor their initial hypothesis about a situation or problem, and to find contradictory information about an alternative solution.
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