Fluid intelligence is the ability to problem solve in novel situations without referencing prior knowledge, but rather through the use of logic and abstract thinking. Fluid intelligence can be applied to any novel problem because no specific prior knowledge is required (Cattell, 1963). As you grow older fluid increases and then starts to decrease in the late 20s. There are many factors that can worsen performance on these tests, and the tests themselves might not even be accurately measuring the very concept they are intended to. Extremes of Intelligence Treffert, D. A. (2009). The savant syndrome: an extraordinary condition. A synopsis: past, present, future. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364 (1522), 1351-1357.

Research documents errors with the specific scoring of tests and interpretation of the multiple scores (since typically, an individual will receive an overall IQ score accompanied by several category-specific scores), and some studies question the actual validity, reliability, and utility for individual clinical use of these tests (Canivez, 2013). Demetriou, A., Christou, C.; Spanoudis, G.; Platsidou, M. (2002). "The development of mental processing: Efficiency, working memory, and thinking". Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. 67 (268): i–viii, 1–155, discussion 156. doi: 10.1111/1540-5834.671174. PMID 12360826. {{ cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link)Linkedin set this cookie to store information about the time a sync took place with the lms_analytics cookie. Demetriou, A.; Efklides, A.; Platsidou, M.; Campbell, Robert L. (1993). "The architecture and dynamics of developing mind: Experiential structuralism as a frame for unifying cognitive developmental theories". Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. 58 (234): 1–205. doi: 10.2307/1166053. JSTOR 1166053. PMID 8232367.

But it is important to recognize that the majority of the world’s population does not reside in Europe or North America, and as a result, the cultural specificity of these tests is crucial. Demetriou, A.; Mouyi, A.; Spanoudis, G. (2010), "The development of mental processing", in Overton, W. F. (ed.), The Handbook of Life-Span Development: Cognition, Biology and Methods, John Wiley & Sons, pp.36–55, ISBN 978-0-470-39011-5 Beyond that, what we are praised for when we are young sets up the mechanism for what we want to achieve later in life, which is why it is so important to reinforce positive behaviours in children. However, if under pressure or in a ‘fight or flight’ environment for a sustained period, cortisol builds, leading to over-arousal and anxiety, where we underperform and make poor decisions.Researchers have spent hours on end developing, standardizing, and adapting these tests to best fit the current times. But that is also not to say that these tests are completely flawless. Gottfredson, L. S. (2006). "Social Consequences of Group Differences in Cognitive Ability (Consequencias sociais das diferencas de grupo em habilidade cognitiva)". In Flores-Mendoza, C. E.; Colom, R. (eds.). Introducau a psicologia das diferencas individuais. ArtMed Publishers. pp.433–456. ISBN 978-8536314181.