Expanding Fluid Intelligence with the Trident G Strategy-Capacity Method

Reimagining Fluid Intelligence: Mastering Both Executive and Creative Forks with Spatial Coding

Fluid intelligence (Gf) lies at the heart of our ability to think on our feet - navigating new, complex, or unfamiliar situations by reasoning, adapting, and problem-solving. Traditionally, this has been understood as the cognitive capacity we call upon when routines or automatic skills are not enough. However, emerging approaches in cognitive neuroscience reflected in the Trident G theory of general intelligence provide us with a lens to understand fluid intelligence with greater insight, showing us how it interacts with both executive control and creative exploration. This post outlines the traditional concept of fluid intelligence, reframes it through the Trident G lens, and explores how spatial coding can be leveraged for far transfer in the Trident Strategy-Capacity Intervention (Tri-SCI) method.

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Traditional Concept of Fluid Intelligence

Traditionally, fluid intelligence is defined as:

• The capacity to reason abstractly and solve novel problems in real time.

• Independent of accumulated knowledge or experience (what we often call crystallised intelligence).

• A core component of general intelligence (g), crucial for quick thinking, inductive reasoning, and adapting to unfamiliar challenges.

When you face a puzzle or situation you have never encountered before - perhaps a sudden crisis at work or an entirely new technical problem - fluid intelligence underpins your ability to grasp the relationships, infer possible solutions, and systematically test out approaches.

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Fluid Intelligence (Gf) According to Trident G Theory

While the traditional definition is still valuable, the Trident G theory provides a more in-depth framework. It splits fluid intelligence along two principal axes:

1. Representational Axis

   • Abstraction of dimensions and concepts (e.g., identifying root causes or key variables in a problem).

   • Configuration of these abstractions in a representational format (e.g., mapping problems or goals in language, images, or spatial diagrams).

2. Computational Axis

   • Relational Reasoning & Inference: Connecting different pieces of information, spotting patterns across multiple variables, reasoning logically.

   • Evidence Accumulation & Thresholding: Systematically gathering data and deciding when enough evidence supports a particular conclusion or action.

By focusing on these two axes - representational and computational - the Trident G theory illuminates the cognitive “mechanics” we use to solve novel challenges. This perspective shows that fluid intelligence is not just an elusive “quick wit,” but an adaptive interplay of how we mentally structure and process new information.

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Executive Control and Creative Exploration Modes

In Trident G theory, fluid intelligence (Gf) is the central fork of the trident. It works ‘over’ two distinct cognitive modes - the outer forks of the trident.

1. Executive Control Mode (Left Fork)

   • Characterised by methodical, rule-based, and carefully structured thinking.

   • Best suited to problems that benefit from careful planning, systematic procedures, and risk mitigation.

   • Cognitive resources are directed towards minimising uncertainty by focusing on clear goals, constraints, and step-by-step solutions.

2. Creative Exploration Mode (Right Fork)

   • Emphasises divergent thinking, novelty, and broad-minded experimentation.

   • Encourages reframing problems, generating original ideas, and embracing some uncertainty to spark innovation.

   • Allows for surprising insights or unconventional paths that might not emerge under strict rule-based control.

Fluid intelligence - operating across representational and computational processing - can manifest in either executive control or creative exploration. The key is learning when to lean on focused, structured methods and when to open up to fresh possibilities or unexpected resources. This requires the flexibility of being in a flexible and mindful ‘brain critical’ state - explained in this article.

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Crystallised Intelligence (Gc): Automating Skills

Repeated practice in either executive control or creative exploration can progressively automate aspects of those thinking processes - integrating them into your long-term repertoire of strategies and routines. In Trident G theory terms, each mode’s skills become consolidated in the staff (the shaft) of the trident, representing crystallised intelligence (Gc). Here are a few examples of how this plays out:

• Executive Control
  Imagine systematically applying a step-by-step planning technique every time you tackle a project. Over time, you develop a near-automatic instinct for scoping tasks, sequencing actions, and allocating resources efficiently. This frees up working memory to handle novel or complex details, because the core routine is now second nature - an addition to your pool of crystallised skills.

• Creative Exploration
  The same principle applies to brainstorming and divergent thinking. By repeatedly practising ‘creative heuristics’ (such as systematically reframing a problem or forcing new associations), you build a mental toolkit that triggers quickly under pressure. What once felt like an effortful exercise in generating creative ideas gradually becomes a seamless habit, accessible whenever you need fresh perspectives.

This automation of both executive and creative skills enlarges your reservoir of crystallised intelligence, giving you greater strategic versatility. You will find it easier to toggle between structured, rule-based problem-solving and free-flowing, imaginative approaches - maximising your use of fluid intelligence (Gf) in any situation.

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Spatial Coding for Far Transfer in the Trident Strategy-Capacity Intervention Method

One of the distinctive features of the Trident Strategy-Capacity Intervention Tri-SCI) method is an emphasis on spatial coding to support far transfer. Far transfer refers to your ability to apply newly acquired cognitive skills or insights to contexts quite different from the training scenarios.

• Spatial Coding Rationale:
  By using concept maps, Venn diagrams, decision trees, or influence diagrams, you tap into the brain’s spatial and visual processing systems. Research suggests that these systems can facilitate more robust encoding of relationships and higher-level reasoning.

• Practical Benefits:

  • Representational Support: Visualising problems makes it easier to spot patterns, constraints, and potential synergies.

  • Cognitive Offloading: Mapping out complex relationships externally frees up working memory for deeper relational reasoning and thresholding.

  • Generalisation: Spatial frameworks for reasoning (e.g., linking nodes in a concept map) can be transferred from one domain to another, aiding problem-solving in personal, academic, or professional contexts far removed from the initial training exercises.

Through these visually driven strategies, the Intervention method ensures you repeatedly practise both executive control (e.g. systematic problem-mapping, KPI tracking) and creative exploration (e.g. generating novel interpretations, reframing the problem space), reinforcing the two axes of fluid intelligence in varied contexts.

Pairing Strategy Training with Working Memory Practice

To enhance both the execution and creative dimensions of fluid intelligence, the Trident G approach pairs strategy training - involving the structured and exploratory modes - with targeted working memory (dual n-back) capacity training exercises. Working memory is the cognitive resource that lets us hold and manipulate multiple pieces of information at once, serving as the ‘mental workbench’ for fluid intelligence. By improving working memory, you expand your capacity to:

• Juggle Constraints and Goals
  In the executive control mode, more robust working memory means you can keep track of constraints, sub-goals, and resources simultaneously, enabling smooth, step-by-step problem-solving without losing sight of the overall plan.

• Explore Novel Possibilities
  In the creative exploration mode, working memory supports the rapid generation and combination of new ideas. Holding various untested possibilities in mind for longer gives you the space to experiment and integrate them into innovative solutions.

• Sustain Complex Reasoning
  By continually challenging your working memory (e.g., through adaptive dual n-back tasks), you can handle higher degrees of complexity in both modes of thinking—leading to deeper comprehension of problems and more effective goal pursuit.

This Strategy + Working Memory Capacity tandem training ensures that as you learn new problem-solving techniques, you simultaneously boost the cognitive capacity required to apply them. Over time, the synergy of strategy training and working memory development fuels steady improvements in fluid intelligence, empowering you to tackle ever more demanding challenges with speed, flexibility and clarity.

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Stepping into the Smart Fraction: Building Fluid Intelligence with Tri-SCI

Fluid intelligence, as re-envisioned by the Trident G theory, is a dynamic, trainable interplay between how we represent and compute information in both executive and creative modes. By integrating repeated practice in representation and computation in each mode, we build our crystallised intelligence, transforming what initially demands conscious effort into routine, near-automatic skill.

Crucially, the Trident Strategy-Capacity Intervention (Tri-SCI) method harnesses spatial coding for deeper encoding and working memory training for enhanced cognitive bandwidth. This powerful combination ensures we not only learn new strategies but also have the mental capacity to apply them in novel or demanding contexts - leading to genuine far transfer.

Together, these training insights open the door to far transfer - genuinely increasing our intelligence. Whether you need methodical step-by-step plans or free-flowing creative breakthroughs, the Trident Strategy-Capacity framework provides a clear path to systematically expand your cognitive horizons. By blending strategy training and working memory development, you build your ‘cognitive capital’ to thrive in the ‘smart fraction’, empowering you not only to adapt in a complex world but also to have a meaningful impact within it.