The influence of fluid and crystallized intelligence on the development of knowledge and skills

Abstract

Due to the continuous influence of Gf on the measures of Gc throughout compulsory school, support for Cattell's (1987) Investment theory was found.

Perceived Demands of Schooling, Stress and Mental Health: Changes from Grade 6 to Grade 9 as a Function of Gender and Cognitive Ability

“…In lower secondary school the needs for vocabulary and knowledge acquisition skills such as reading become increasingly important and problem solving skills per se are not sufficient to develop knowledge and insights into different subject matter domains. Unless students develop crystallized abilities the fluid abilities will not suffice for adequate levels of achievement (Thorsén, Gustafsson, & Cliffordson, ).…”

Developmental change in the influence of domain-general abilities and domain-specific knowledge on mathematics achievement: An eight-year longitudinal study.

“…For instance, Cattell’s (1987) influential investment theory focused on the importance of fluid intelligence (abstract problem solving), in combination with interests and personality, in the development of crystallized intelligence, including domain-specific knowledge (see also Ackerman & Beier, 2006); “ … this year’s crystallized ability level is a function of last year’s fluid ability level–and last year’s interest in school work” (Cattell, 1987, p. 139). Other differential and educational psychologists have noted that level of domain-specific knowledge can influence further gains in this knowledge (Ackerman, 2000; Sweller, 2012; Tricot & Sweller, 2013; Thorsen, Gustafsson, & Cliffordson, 2014). …”

Revealing hidden talents: The development, use, and benefit of VESPARCH

“…In this way, we can start to identify the ‘missed children’. If we subscribe to the Investment theory of the development of abilities (Cattell, ; Thorsen et al ., ), then Gf should impact on crystallized intelligence, and hence academic achievement, throughout childhood. This is important in order that these children can be given the necessary educational opportunities and stimulus to reach their potential.…”

“…Kvist and Gustafsson () showed that it is important to use a homogeneous population in order to study this situation. Thorsen, Gustafsson, and Cliffordson () working with a homogeneous sample of 9,000 school children from ages 9 to 10 through to ages 15 to 16 showed that a model in which Gf continued to influence Gc fitted the data better than one which allowed little effect of Gf after the first measures. Discussion of Cattell's investment hypothesis, and the alternative description of the importance of the effect of Gf being confined to the early years, sometimes called the encapsulation hypothesis (introduced by Gustafsson and Carlstedt; see Thorsen, ) also requires definition of what Gc actually is (see Ferrer and McArdle (), Kan et al ., ).…”