Fluid Intelligence, Crystallized Intelligence, and the Openness/Intellect Factor

Abstract

We investigated the relations of the Big Five personality factor of Intellect or Openness to Experience with the crystallized and fluid aspects of measured intelligence. Approximately 500 participants completed the Personality Research Form (PRF) and the Multidimensional Aptitude Battery (MAB). An Openness/Intellect scale, defined as the sum of four PRF scales known to be markers of the Openness/Intellect factor (Understanding, Sentience, Change, and Autonomy), was substantially correlated with MAB subtests that assess crystallized knowledge (the Verbal Scale subtests except Arithmetic), but only weakly correlated with MAB subtests that assess fluid ability (the Performance Scale subtests and Arithmetic). Among the fluid ability subtests, those containing pictures or meaningful visual stimuli were somewhat correlated with Openness/Intellect, whereas those containing numbers or abstract shapes were virtually uncorrelated with Openness/Intellect.