What's the difference between crystallized and fluid intelligence?
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Are you a strong on-the-spot problem solver, or are you more of a by-the-book type of person? Explore crystallized vs fluid intelligence, and how to improve both.
Ever find yourself faced with a problem that needs an immediate solution? Maybe you’re trying to fix a clogged drain, or navigate an unfamiliar neighborhood… Maybe you need to help a friend who lost their cat, or just broke up with someone.
We come up against these kinds of situations all the time in life and these moments call for fluid intelligence, (the mental agility to think on your feet and handle new situations.)
There are also times when you rely on what you already know — like facts for a trivia game, grammar rules when writing, or how to cook a favorite recipe. In these cases, you’re using crystallized intelligence — the knowledge and skills you've built up over time.
Both of these types of intelligence are important in everyday life, and together, they allow us to tackle different types of challenges.
What is fluid intelligence?
Fluid intelligence is your brain’s ability to think quickly, adapt, and solve new problems. It’s what you rely on when you don’t have past experiences to guide you. This type of intelligence helps you tackle unfamiliar challenges by using reasoning, creativity, and logic.
If you’re faced with a puzzle you’ve never seen before, or you’re trying to figure out the fastest route to a new place without a map, fluid intelligence helps you come up with a solution. With it, you’re able to think on your feet, make quick decisions, and adapt to changing situations.
This type of intelligence peaks in early adulthood—usually in your 20s—then slowly starts to decline as you age. But, there are ways to keep it sharp.
Everyday examples of fluid intelligence
Solving puzzles or riddles: Figuring out a tricky brain teaser or working on a crossword or Sudoku puzzle.
Adapting to new technology: Learning how to use a new app or device without instructions, or exploring an update on your device.
Finding a quick solution to a sudden problem: Fixing something in the house like making a flathead screwdriver work in place of a Phillip’s head, or duct taping a cracked window until it can be repaired.
What is crystallized intelligence?
Crystallized intelligence is all about the knowledge and skills you’ve picked up over the course of your life — your long-term memory. Whenever you remember a fact, use a piece of advice, or apply a technique you’ve practiced before, you’re tapping into your crystallized intelligence.
If you know how to calculate a tip at a restaurant or if you know the rules of a board game by heart, that’s your crystallized intelligence. You’re drawing on what you already know to solve problems, make decisions, or navigate the world.
Crystallized intelligence grows as you get older because you’re constantly learning new things. When you pick up a new hobby, or study something new, you’re building this muscle.
The more we learn, the stronger our crystallized intelligence becomes. Best of all, it can keep growing—often peaking well into your 60s or 70s—because it’s based on an accumulation of knowledge.
Everyday examples of crystallized intelligence
Reading comprehension: Understanding an article by using your vocabulary and general knowledge, or understanding the flow of a story in a novel.
Problem-solving: Using a tried-and-tested method to fix something, like unclogging a drain, or resetting the circuit breaker when the power goes out.
Trivia and facts: Remembering your state’s capital, the first three digits of the number pi, or that Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.
Want ideas on how to stay curious? Here are 7 tips on how to learn something new every day.
Crystallized vs. fluid intelligence
Fluid and crystallized intelligence may be two separate ideas, but in practice, you often rely on both to solve problems. Here are a few scenarios where this might happen:
If you’re faced with a challenging work project, you might use your fluid intelligence to come up with a creative new strategy — but you’d rely on your crystallized intelligence to apply the skills and knowledge you’ve gained from similar past experiences to get the job done.
Let’s say you’re making your favorite chili recipe, and you realize that you’re out of a spice you typically use. Your fluid intelligence kicks in to figure out a substitute. Once you’ve made that decision, your crystallized intelligence helps you remember the cooking techniques or flavors that work well together.
When you’re taking a multiple-choice test and the questions ask you to recall facts — they're tapping into your crystallized intelligence. But a question that needs logic, like a complex math problem, uses your fluid intelligence.
The team effort between both forms of intelligence allows you to think on your feet and lean on what you know to figure things out.
How to improve crystallized and fluid intelligence: 5 mindful tips to train your brain
Your fluid and crystallized intelligence are so important — and the good news is, just like exercising can keep your body fit, you can strengthen them both with the right habits and practices. All it requires are a few simple tweaks to the things you’re already doing.
1. Keep learning and stay curious
The more you expose yourself to new information, the more you’ll add to your mental library. Read books, watch educational videos, and listen to podcasts on topics that interest you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, dig deeper into topics, and challenge yourself to learn things outside your comfort zone in every aspect of your life. This might even include trying a new hobby, like learning to play a musical instrument or studying a foreign language.
💙 Tune into this meditation on Cultivating a Learning Mindset to help yourself stay curious and open.
2. Solve puzzles and play brain games
Challenge your brain with activities that require problem-solving and creativity. Puzzles like Sudoku, crosswords, or jigsaws can push your brain to think in new ways. Chess or strategy-based video games can give your fluid intelligence a workout, because your brain is forced to come up with solutions.
Brain games and apps that focus on logic and pattern recognition can help encourage quick thinking and push you to find answers without relying on what you already know. The more you practice, the better your brain gets at making connections and solving unfamiliar problems.
💙 Next time you start a crossword, put on Infinite Lofi for Focus music to help your brain stay in the zone.
3. Practice mindfulness and meditation
Stress is one of the biggest obstacles to fluid intelligence because it makes it harder to think clearly. By practicing mindfulness, you train your brain to stay present, focused, and calm, even in challenging situations. Here are 10 mindfulness exercises to add to your daily routine.
Meditation has been shown to reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance cognitive flexibility, all of which help with fluid intelligence.
Even just a few minutes of daily meditation can make a difference. All you have to do is sit quietly, focus on your breath, and let go of distractions. Over time, these mindfulness practices can improve both fluid and crystallized intelligence by creating mental space for better focus, learning, and problem-solving.
💙 If it’s your first time practicing mindfulness, our simple 30-day Mindfulness for Beginners program might be for you.
4. Stay socially active
Socializing can be a surprisingly powerful way to boost both forms of intelligence. Having conversations, sharing ideas, and debating different perspectives require you to use your crystallized intelligence (recalling facts or drawing on past experiences) as well as your fluid intelligence (thinking quickly and adjusting to the flow of the conversation). If you struggle to put yourself out there, try these 11 tips to overcome adult shyness. Explore joining a book club, attending social events, or chatting with a neighbor, which can help keep your mind sharp and active.
💙 Finding yourself getting nervous before social interactions? Ease your Anxiety with our Confidence Series.
5. Get enough sleep and exercise
Sleep is especially important for memory consolidation, because it’s when your brain processes and stores information from the day into long-term knowledge. Get enough quality rest to help improve your ability to remember and recall information.
In addition, exercise can increase blood flow to the brain, which can help boost cognitive function. Studies show that regular exercise can improve memory, enhance problem-solving skills, and may delay cognitive decline as you age. Hit the gym if that's your thing, or try walking, stretching, or swimming.
You may want to check out mindful movement practices like yoga or tai chi, as these can help keep your body healthy, but also help train your brain to stay focused and calm under pressure, which benefits fluid intelligence.
💙 Prepare for a restful night with Mel Mah’s Evening Wind Down session.
Crystallized intelligence FAQs
At what age does crystallized intelligence peak?
For most people, crystalized intelligence reaches its highest point between the ages of 40 and 60. This is because it’s built over time, drawing on years of learning, experiences, and memories.
The peak in crystallized intelligence can continue to improve well into your senior years. As long as you stay mentally active and engaged, your brain can keep gathering new information, so your crystallized intelligence can keep growing.
Do crystallized intelligence and fluid intelligence work together?
When you’re solving a new problem, you might use your fluid intelligence to think of a creative or quick solution on the spot. Then, you’ll use your crystallized intelligence to draw on knowledge and experience to fine-tune your answer. In this way they both work in tandem to help you move through life.
If you’re building something with complicated instructions, your fluid intelligence helps you think critically and adapt the steps if something doesn’t seem to fit. Meanwhile, your crystallized intelligence might remind you of similar projects from the past, or help you recall useful facts about the tools you’re using.
Can fluid intelligence be transformed into crystallized intelligence over time?
Fluid intelligence can gradually contribute to your crystallized intelligence. When you encounter a new challenge or learn something unfamiliar, you’re using your fluid intelligence to adapt and figure things out. As you get more comfortable with that task or problem, what you’ve learned becomes part of your long-term memory. Eventually, it moves into crystallized intelligence.
For example, the first time you learn how to use a new software program, you’re likely relying heavily on your fluid intelligence to figure things out. But after using the software regularly, the skills and knowledge become second nature to you. At that point, they’ve become part of your crystallized intelligence.
How do lifestyle factors like diet and exercise impact crystallized intelligence?
A healthy lifestyle helps keep your brain in top form, ensuring your memory and ability to recall information stay strong.
Diet: Food rich in omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish like salmon), antioxidants (in fruits and vegetables), and vitamins like B6, B12, and folate can help protect your brain from cognitive decline. When your brain’s functioning well, your ability to learn new things and recall information (crystallized intelligence) stays sharp.
Exercise: Being active increases blood flow to the brain, which can help with both learning and memory. Regular exercise, even something as simple as walking or yoga, can help protect against memory loss and cognitive decline. It’s also been linked to better problem-solving skills and faster information recall.
Sleep: Good sleep helps consolidate memories, which directly impacts your crystallized intelligence, making it easier to recall information later on.
What are some common misconceptions about crystallized intelligence?
There are a few common misconceptions about crystallized intelligence — typically because sometimes people don’t know how to separate it from fluid intelligence.
Misconception: Crystallized intelligence declines with age
Fact: Many people think all types of intelligence fade as we get older, but in fact, crystallized intelligence typically increases with age, because we learn and gather new information throughout our lives. Fluid intelligence, however, tends to decline over time.
Misconception: You can’t improve crystallized intelligence
Fact: Some believe that once you reach adulthood, your capacity for learning new things stops. But actually, you can always continue to improve crystallized intelligence.
Misconception: Crystallized intelligence is only about facts
Fact: Crystallized intelligence includes facts, but also the skills and knowledge you’ve developed, like understanding language, solving familiar problems, or using strategies learned from past experience.
How does crystallized intelligence affect problem-solving abilities in everyday life?
Crystallized intelligence can help you solve problems in everyday situations, especially when those problems are familiar or related to things you’ve already learned. When you face a challenge, crystallized intelligence allows you to pull from your knowledge bank — the skills you learned in school, from a job, or through life experiences.
For example, if you’re troubleshooting an issue at work that you’ve seen before, crystallized intelligence helps you recall the steps you took last time to fix it. Drawing on what you already know helps you find a solution, and the more knowledge and experience you gain, the better you can handle similar challenges in the future.
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