When it comes to solving problems we humans have some ways of thinking that hinder our ability to find new and effective solutions.  One of these ways of thinking is termed “functional fixedness”.  This term refers to our inability to recognize diverse uses for an object and to focus our problem solving efforts on its usual accepted purpose.  This fixation on a specific use of an object closes our mind to the many other possible purposes it could fulfill thus closing the door to the solutions to countless problems.  If we could overcome this fixation we could open the door to an array of creative solutions.  One Psychology PHD believes he has the key to that door.

Tony McCaffrey, a Psychology PHD from the University of Massachusetts, addresses the problem of functional fixedness with his method entitled the Generic Parts Technique.  The purpose of this technique is to help us overcome the obstacles created by functional fixedness and to enable us to open our minds to other uses of objects and their components thus resulting in more efficient, creative problem solving abilities.

McCaffrey’s Generic Parts Technique involves asking two questions:  1) can the object be broken down further and 2) does my description of the part imply a use? (“Stumped by a Problem? This Technique Unsticks You”, 2012).  In asking these questions we can break down the items at hand into their parts and consider them apart from their usual purpose allowing our minds to consider other possible creative uses for them.  With this technique the “function” of the object is no longer “fixed” in our mind allowing for countless possible creative uses.

When reading about functional fixedness and the Generic Parts Technique the old TV show character MacGyver came to mind.  This character could make use of whatever object that happened to be on hand to disarm a bomb, repair a boat or free an innocent prisoner.  In this video clip entitled “My Trusty Paperclip” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09UlB17cgKw MacGyver uses a paperclip to disarm a bomb at the last second.  If he had been hindered by functional fixedness he would have seen the only use of the paperclip as to bind paper together and the outcome of this episode would have been much different.  In fact, it would have been the final episode because MacGyver would not have survived to make future shows!

In overcoming the obstacles to problem solving created by functional fixedness we open up a world of possibilities to find solutions to myriad problems.  The Generic Parts Technique can help us to break down the object to its parts and free our minds of the fixation on its use allowing for more creative problem solving.  Imagine the possibilities if we were all freed from functional fixedness.  A paperclip would not only be used to bind papers but would be considered as a bomb disarming tool (well, maybe that’s a little farfetched!)

Reference

Stumped by a Problem? This Technique Unsticks You. (2012, March 6). Retrieved April 17, 2015, from http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/stumped-by-a-problem-this-technique-unsticks-you.html