Crystallized intelligence is best characterized as?

• A. Raw processing speed and abstract reasoning
• B. Ability to learn new information quickly
• C. Stored knowledge from experience used for familiar problems
• D. Visual-spatial processing

Answer: (C)

Crystallized intelligence is the knowledge and skills accumulated from schooling and life experience that you draw on to handle familiar problems. This stored knowledge—vocabulary, facts, general information, and practiced procedures—grows with learning and culture, and you apply it when dealing with tasks you’ve encountered before. Because it relies on what you already know, crystallized intelligence tends to stay stable or improve with age. In short, it’s about using what you’ve learned to solve familiar problems. Raw processing speed and abstract reasoning describe fluid intelligence, the ability to think quickly in new situations; the ability to learn new information quickly sounds like rapid acquisition rather than using stored knowledge; and visual-spatial processing involves a different cognitive domain focused on perceiving and manipulating visual and spatial relationships.