In the world of "intelligence", we often hear the terms "fluid intelligence" and "crystallized intelligence". What are they? The simple, basic descriptions below will help to separate them.
Fluid Intelligence refers to the ability to solve problems and work with relationships without any previous training regarding those relationships. It is the ability to reason, to think abstractly, to generate strategies, and to think quickly - "on the fly", so to speak. When one develops strategies for an exam, for example, or solves puzzles, we see Fluid Intelligence in action. It is thought that Fluid Intelligence is a physiologically-rooted capacity that sharpens and develops through the younger years into early adulthood, and then tapers off.
Crystallized Intelligence, on the other hand, is the ability to use stored knowledge or experience to complete a task - for example, when one recalls learned knowledge to answer questions on an exam. It is thought that Crystallized Intelligence is rooted in personality, culture, and education, and that it continues to develop through the adult years.
Discover more about different kinds of intelligence in (click) Intelligent Children.
