Perry Is Trying to Solve the Following Riddle: "What Creature

question 32

Multiple Choice

Perry is trying to solve the following riddle: "What creature walks first on four legs, then two, then three?" He repeatedly tries to think of an animal that might walk on three legs, but he can only think of animals that walk on either two or four legs. Finally, he is told the correct answer: a human being, who crawls, then walks, then walks with a cane. Which one of the following is the most likely explanation of Perry's difficulty?

• A) He has encoded the problem with too narrow a definition of "legs."
• B) He doesn't have enough working memory capacity.
• C) He doesn't have a sufficient knowledge base.
• D) He is suffering from functional fixedness.

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Definitions:

Rationalization

A defense mechanism where individuals justify their actions or decisions with plausible but not the real reasons to avoid facing the true underlying motives.

Projection

A defense mechanism where an individual attributes their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or motives to another person.

Repression

A defense mechanism where unpleasant thoughts or desires are unconsciously excluded from consciousness.

Blocking Feelings

An emotional defense mechanism where an individual unconsciously or consciously avoids experiencing or expressing certain emotions.