Processing Speed Index (PSI) Flashcards
7 cards from real WAIS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Processing Speed Index (PSI) flashcards as text
Which WAIS-IV subtest requires the examinee to scan a row of symbols and mark specific target symbols?
Answer: Symbol Search
Symbol Search asks examinees to scan a search group and indicate whether target symbols appear within it.
The PSI is most sensitive to neurological conditions because processing speed is closely linked to:
Answer: White matter integrity and neural efficiency
Processing speed depends heavily on white matter tract efficiency, making it sensitive to neurological disruption.
On the WAIS-IV, a PSI composite score is derived from how many subtests?
Answer: Two
The PSI is composed of two core subtests: Coding and Symbol Search.
A 45-year-old shows a large discrepancy between a high VCI and a low PSI. Which explanation is LEAST likely?
Answer: Innate low verbal ability
A high VCI indicates strong verbal ability, making innate low verbal ability the least plausible explanation for the pattern.
Which factor does the Cancellation subtest measure that Coding does NOT primarily emphasize?
Answer: Visual scanning and selective attention
Cancellation emphasizes random and structured visual scanning with selective attention to targets, beyond the graphomotor component of Coding.
PSI scores tend to show the steepest age-related decline beginning around which decade of life?
Answer: 50s–60s
Processing speed begins a more pronounced decline in the 50s–60s, accelerating further into older adulthood.
In the WAIS standardization sample, which group consistently earns the highest average PSI scores?
Answer: Adults aged 20–24
Young adults aged 20–24 show peak processing speed performance in normative WAIS data.