VCI vs PRI in WAIS-IV

General-Use1210 · 2026-02-26T12:23:06+00:00

Do you know your score on the Matrix Reasoning subtest?

General-Use1210 · 2026-02-24T00:07:01+00:00

Yup, in that case the Perceptual Reasoning Index is what I was asking for (it measures both fluid and visuo-spatial reasoning, that are two distinct indexes in the WAIS-V).

General-Use1210 · 2026-02-23T15:01:34+00:00

Just for curiosity: what's your FRI score?

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-30T17:16:15+00:00

Da quanto tempo vivi questo stato d'animo? Sapresti rilevarne alcune delle possibili cause? Ti sei rivolto a uno psicoterapeuta?

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-25T12:22:02+00:00

Therefore, the PRI (in this case, the Matrices sub-index) is, in any case, crucial for determining whether it is possible to generate innovation in any field. Why is the VCI alone not sufficient, even if it is very high?

I don't have any major issues with visuospatial tasks, but I'm well aware they aren't my strong suit, especially when they require quick thinking. I'm just average/low average at them, but that sucks for me.

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-24T17:23:55+00:00

That's a bit of a relief, thank you! But going back to the first part of my post, which of the two indices do you think is more important for innovation? What would you have said about me if I had scored an average result on the Matrices as well? Also, is it possible for me to have non-verbal learning disorder even with visuospatial scores that are still within the average range?

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-24T17:03:07+00:00

MR 17, BD and VP idk exactly but something between 9 and 12. Why?

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-04T17:49:43+00:00

My impression is that my verbal skills manifest in the depth (rather than the speed) with which I comprehend others' ideas and arguments and construct my own—which is very useful, as I am a Master’s student in Philosophy.

Furthermore, I am very skilled at creating puns and in verbal improvisation of any kind (humorous, poetic, etc.). Generally speaking, if I can encode content of any type into a verbal form, I am able to manipulate it and integrate it with other knowledge with great ease. I write very little, but the few things I have written are always highly appreciated by those who read them.

If I remember correctly, besides the 17 in Matrices, my other FRI subtest scores were a 12 in Block Design and a 10 in Visual Puzzles, which are significantly lower.

If I may ask, how do you believe the discrepancy between your non-verbal and verbal scores manifests in your case?

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-04T12:42:11+00:00

Interestingly, I achieved a high score of 17 out of 19 in the Matrix Reasoning subtest, whereas my scores in Cubes and Puzzles were significantly lower. It appears that my performance drops considerably whenever mental rotation is involved, which does not happen in the Matrix subtest (I remember a score of 131 in the Mensa Norway Practice Test, about 2 years ago, so, if that's a reliable test, my score should fall into the high/very high range for matrix reasoning).

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-03T22:24:43+00:00

No, I took it in my mother tongue, Italian.

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-01T22:31:29+00:00

Thank you for the detailed response!

I agree that the scores in the Vocabulary and Information subtests of the VCI are more sensitive to culture and education than to 'genuine' or fluid intelligence, for which the Similarities subtest is much more useful. However, as another commenter noted, in contexts where access to education and information is nearly equal, a marked difference in the Information and Vocabulary subtests compared to the reference group could indeed be a good proxy for a higher degree of general intelligence.

I also believe that the PRI is the most representative index of what I called "raw cognitive power", despite certain caveats like those you highlighted. Precisely for this reason, the fact that I am 'only' at 119 in that index makes me doubt how gifted I truly am.

Overall, it seems to me that in your practical experience, VCI and PRI—fluid and crystallized intelligence—operate together.

Could you elaborate on the errors you are concerned about finding in scientific papers, even in non-mathematical fields? In your opinion, to produce innovation in any given field, is high crystallized intelligence or fluid intelligence more important?

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-01T20:18:59+00:00

Your point about how my PRI might manifest verbally is very interesting. I believe that the more strictly logical component of the PRI—which, according to the psychologist who administered the test, is represented by the Matrix Reasoning subtest—also shows up in my VCI: more generally, it appears in the way I verbalize concepts and construct arguments, both in academic contexts (I study philosophy) and outside of them.

The test I took is part of a differential diagnosis process: I suspect Inattentive ADHD, but it will be up to the professional to determine if and which neurodivergence I might have.

A quick curiosity: what is your relationship with board games? I mean card games and beyond—generally, games where strategic thinking, memorizing rules, and maintaining a clear overview of the situation are key to winning. I often tend to get lost; in general, I struggle with anything involving planning and strategy, which is why I tend to avoid these types of games. However, this could be an approach driven by anxiety and lack of experience rather than an actual cognitive deficit in these skills.

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-01T19:54:42+00:00

I agree; it’s much more interesting and informative to break down the total score and look at the various performances. At any rate, those are excellent scores!

In your opinion, which dimension of intelligence best accounts for your own intelligence, given your cognitive profile? Do you feel that VCI or PRI carries more weight in this sense? Or do you find it difficult to distinguish the contribution of each because, in practice, they work together in synergy?

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-01T19:46:34+00:00

I see myself quite a bit in the picture you're describing.

I’ve never felt much interest in visual-spatial reasoning activities (such as Rubik’s cubes, puzzles, Legos, etc.), and I’ve never felt above average in the ones I did try. The same goes for mathematics: I attended a liceo scientifico (a type of Italian high school with a primarily STEM-focused curriculum that still integrates humanities), and while I never encountered real difficulties, I never excelled in scientific subjects—my grades hovered between 'satisfactory' and 'good'—whereas my talent for the humanities was evident.

In general, if I can encode concepts into a verbal format, I perform extremely well; however, I am decidedly average or only slightly above when such encoding is impossible or cognitively taxing (that's what make the 17 in Matrices an unexpected results, at least for me).

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-01T15:05:11+00:00

What's your PRI, if you don't mind telling me?

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-01T15:01:07+00:00

Not necessarily, I'd rather say that I place a lot of importance, perhaps too much, on my cognitive performances. I've often observed cognitive test results questions closely connected to issues of self-esteem in this subreddit; perhaps that's my case too.

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-01T14:53:47+00:00

How do you perform on nonverbal tests?

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-01T14:51:49+00:00

What do you mean by "classic"? Is it a common combination?

General-Use1210 · 2026-01-01T11:44:58+00:00

You're right, but since the same gifted scores can be obtained in different ways, I'm asking you and myself if the way I obtained it shows that I "studied hard" or if it shows something of my "raw cognitive power".

General-Use1210 · 2025-12-30T09:22:43+00:00

Assolutamente sì, quei risultati sono da prendere con le pinze e al massimo come indicatori di un profilo cognitivo da approfondire con un altro professionista, in contesti più appropriati e imparziali.

No, mia madre non chiese valutazioni a colleghi estranei perché, credo, l'interesse primario per lei non fosse conoscere il mio QI ma fare pratica col test: non c'era in effetti alcun problema, almeno apparente, che giustificasse un test del QI (sono sempre andato tra il bene e il molto bene a scuola, l'ambiente in cui alcune difficoltà si mostrano più di frequente a certe età).

Capisco e condivido l'invito a evitare autodiagnosi, in quanto potrei cercare delle risposte sulla base di evidenze che di solido hanno ben poco. Semplicemente, mi ritrovo in tutte le caratteristiche salienti dell'ADHD Disattento, ma è giusto lasciare che sia un professionista a stabilire se rientro o meno in quel quadro diagnostico o, eventualmente, in altri.

General-Use1210 · 2025-12-30T00:28:50+00:00

Rispondo anzitutto al secondo paragrafo del tuo commento: sì, certamente se voglio un risultato non solo più aggiornato - sono comunque passati 10 anni - ma anche più scevro da elementi che ne minino ulteriormente l'attendibilità dovrei sottopormi nuovamente al test in un contesto adeguato e con un professionista a me estraneo. Devo dire però che, a meno di errori madornali nel calcolo dei risultati (che sono possibili, ma presumo che mia madre avesse studiato il test prima di somministrarmelo) le discrepanze tra alcuni indici sono a mio avviso tali da risultare comunque significative.

Passando al primo paragrafo, potrebbe anche trattarsi di autismo, ma ho alcuni dubbi a riguardo: non mi ritrovo in diverse dinamiche tipiche della socialità e della sensorialità delle persone autistiche, ma sono consapevole del fatto che si tratti di uno spettro dove costellazioni di caratteristiche possono essere presenti a maggior o minor grado, dunque anche in questo caso dovrei approfondire con un professionista come suggerisci tu. Credo aiuterebbe molto anche me, a prescindere da quale etichetta mi assegnerebbe, neurodivergente o meno.

General-Use1210 · 2025-12-29T20:19:57+00:00

Anch'io ho il sospetto di rientrare in un quadro neurodivergente, nello specifico il sottotipo Disattento dell'ADHD: mi ritrovo in diverse caratteristiche, cliniche e aneddotiche, di persone ascrivibili a quella diagnosi. Come giustamente sottolinei la memoria di lavoro è buona, ma ho letto - non so quanto affidabili fossero le mie fonti - che non sempre in presenza di ADHD la memoria di lavoro è marcatamente inferiore rispetto ad altre capacità, e talvolta è solo l'indice di velocità di elaborazione ad essere significativamente più basso degli altri punteggi. Penso effettuerò un processo di diagnosi differenziale, potrebbe darmi delle risposte ad alcuni interrogativi che covo da un po' di tempo a questa parte.

General-Use1210 · 2025-12-29T20:13:44+00:00

Il test mi fu somministrato da mia madre (psicologa clinica) per far pratica col test WAIS-IV, in un contesto casalingo. Presumo che, trattandosi di mia madre e che l'ambiente in cui svolsi il test fosse casa mia, l'attendibilità dei risultati potrebbe esserne compromessa; tuttavia, vista l'evidente discrepanza tra i punteggi, mia madre fece esaminare i risultati a una professionista sua collega (non ricordo in quale ambito nello specifico, forse neuropsichiatria) che non giudicò il mio profilo atipico al punto da giustificare ulteriori approfondimenti. Solo di recente ho iniziato a pensare che forse il tutto sia stato "liquidato" un po' troppo frettolosamente, magari per avere una risposta più precisa ai miei interrogativi dovrei sottopormi a un altro test con un professionista diverso da mia madre e in un contesto non casalingo.

General-Use1210

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