Final answer:
Cognitive complexity represents a person's capacity to acquire and organize information from the environment in a coherent manner. This ability is part of higher-order thinking critical for nuanced understanding and problem-solving. Fluid intelligence, closely related to cognitive complexity, involves the capacity to solve new problems without relying on previous knowledge.
Step-by-step explanation:
The capacity to acquire, sort through various pieces of information from the environment, and organize them in a way that they make sense is described as cognitive complexity. Cognitive complexity encompasses the ability to understand and process multiple and often complex thoughts and ideas simultaneously. It is a facet of higher-order thinking that allows for nuanced understanding and the ability to see situations from multiple perspectives. This is in contrast to other options such as locus of control, which refers to beliefs about control over life events, extroversion indicating a personality trait geared towards sociability and enthusiasm, and physical abilities which pertain to bodily capabilities.
Fluid intelligence is the capacity to see complex relationships and solve new problems, which is not related to prior knowledge or experience. It differs from crystallized intelligence, which is characterized by the ability to use learned knowledge and experience.