According to psychologist Raymond Cattell, who developed the concept in the 1980s to explain intelligence, crystallized intelligence comprises the skills and knowledge acquired through education and acculturation. It is related to specific information and is distinct from fluid intelligence, which is the general ability to reason abstractly, identify patterns, and recognize relations. Applying old knowledge to solve a new problem depends on crystallized intelligence; for example, the ability to use one's knowledge of ocean tides to navigate unfamiliar seas. Cattell believed that crystallized intelligence interacts with fluid intelligence. Many psychologists believe that crystallized intelligence increases with age, as people learn new skills and facts; however, researchers disagree about the precise relation between crystallized intelligence and age.
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In social sciences there are many key concepts and terms that are crucial for students to know and understand. Often it can be hard to determine what the most important social sciences concepts and terms are, and even once you’ve identified them you still need to understand what they mean. To help you learn and understand key social sciences terms and concepts, we’ve identified some of the most important ones and provided detailed definitions for them, written and compiled by Chegg experts.