What is NOT a characteristic of crystallized intelligence?

Crystallized intelligence refers to the knowledge and abilities that an individual acquires through life experiences, education, and cultural exposure. It includes vocabulary, general knowledge, and the ability to use learned information to solve problems. As people age, their crystallized intelligence often increases due to the accumulation of knowledge and experiences over time.

The characteristic of being able to solve new problems aligns more closely with fluid intelligence, which involves the capacity to reason and solve novel problems independent of previously acquired knowledge. Fluid intelligence typically declines with age, while crystallized intelligence tends to expand. Therefore, claiming the ability to solve new problems as a characteristic of crystallized intelligence does not accurately represent its essence, making it the correct choice for what is NOT a characteristic of crystallized intelligence.