Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
General intelligence (g) represents the idea that an individual's overall intelligence is a compilation of different specific abilities. It suggests that if someone is good at one type of cognitive task, they're likely to be good at others too.
This refers to the ability to reason and solve novel problems, independent of any knowledge from the past.
Crystallized Intelligence: This term describes our ability to use skills, knowledge, and experience already learned - it does not equate to memory but applies to using this information in problem-solving.
IQ (Intelligence Quotient): This is a measure used to assess an individual's mental agility or speed of thought. It's often used as an indicator of general intelligence.