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Stenka25 Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary
A tricky pronoun
The sentences below is a definition about "functional fixedness."
In that text the underlined "that" is ambiguous.
In a way, it seems to represent "a function." In another, it seems to stand for "use."
To me it seems more like "a function" but I don't see why"that" can't be "use."
One inviting hypothesis is that problem solving may in some instances be delayed through the "functional fixedness" of solution objects. That is, owing to his previous use of the object in a function dissimilar to that demanded by the present problem, S is inhibited in discovering the appropriate new use of the object.
In that text the underlined "that" is ambiguous.
In a way, it seems to represent "a function." In another, it seems to stand for "use."
To me it seems more like "a function" but I don't see why"that" can't be "use."
One inviting hypothesis is that problem solving may in some instances be delayed through the "functional fixedness" of solution objects. That is, owing to his previous use of the object in a function dissimilar to that demanded by the present problem, S is inhibited in discovering the appropriate new use of the object.
Top answer
It represents "function" and not "use", because the main theory is not about fixedness of use, but of function.
- It represents "function" and not "use", because the main theory is not about fixedness of use, but of function.
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3 Answers
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It represents "function" and not "use", because the main theory is not about fixedness of use, but of function.
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The strongest antecedent for a pronoun is the closest noun that makes sense.
Function is closer than use, and it makes sense.
... previous use of the object in a function dissimilar to the function demanded by the present problem.
The confusion here is that function and use are nearly synonyms.
Function is closer than use, and it makes sense.
... previous use of the object in a function dissimilar to the function demanded by the present problem.
The confusion here is that function and use are nearly synonyms.
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