— Glossary

Cognitive concepts glossary

Clear, accurate definitions of the major concepts in modern cognitive psychology and psychometrics.

• Fluid Intelligence — The ability to reason abstractly and solve novel problems, independent of acquired knowledge.
• Crystallised Intelligence — The accumulated knowledge, vocabulary, and skills you've acquired over your lifetime.
• The g-factor (general intelligence) — The single statistical factor underlying performance across all cognitive tasks.
• The Flynn Effect — The well-documented rise in raw IQ test performance across the 20th century.
• Verbal IQ — The cognitive ability index measuring language-based reasoning, vocabulary, and verbal comprehension.
• Performance IQ — The cognitive ability index measuring spatial, perceptual, and non-verbal reasoning.
• Working Memory — The cognitive system that temporarily holds and manipulates information during reasoning.
• Processing Speed — The cognitive ability index measuring how quickly you can perform simple cognitive operations.
• Abstract Reasoning — The ability to identify patterns, draw inferences, and solve problems with unfamiliar information.
• IQ vs EQ — what's the difference? — Cognitive intelligence (IQ) versus emotional intelligence (EQ): what each measures and how they relate.