Article: Glucksberg & Danks

Here is some relevant background that you will need to understand the paper.

A) Functional fixedness means that you get stuck (i.e., fixated) on an object's designed use that inhibits you from considering other uses for the object. For example, when looking at a screwdriver, knowing that it is designed to turn screws interferes with your ability to notice features that could lead to other uses.

B) Duncker's Candle Problem (1945)
Subjects need to attach a candle to a wall so it will burn without dripping wax on the floor using only a candle, a book of matches, and a box of tacks. Subjects tend to notice the "box of tacks" but not the "box" that contains the tacks. The traditional solution is to use the box as a container (or shelf) for the candle and then attach the box holding the candle onto the wall with the tacks (also the box catches the wax drips).

These paper includes two experiments. For each experiment, be prepared to discuss the answers to the following questions.

1) What is the experiment designed to test? What is the authors' hypothesis?

2) What is the design (e.g., the groups that are compared against each other)?

3) Is the design a good design? Does it test what it is supposed to test? Are there any flaws in the design? If there is a flaw, how would you fix it?

4) What are the results? Do the results support the hypothesis?

5) Overall, does the paper give you any ideas for follow-up experiments?