Final answer:
Crystallized intelligence improves with age, characterized by the ability to retrieve acquired knowledge, contrasting with the decline of fluid intelligence, processing speed, and memory in late adulthood.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cognitive skill that tends to improve as we age is crystallized intelligence. This is because crystallized intelligence, characterized by the ability to retrieve acquired knowledge, remains steady or even improves through adulthood. Unlike crystallized intelligence, other cognitive skills such as working memory, fluid intelligence, processing speed, and reaction time typically decline in late adulthood.
Fluid intelligence involves the capacity to see complex relationships and solve new problems, and this tends to decline as people age. Engaging in mentally and physically stimulating activities can help delay cognitive decline.