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PSYCHOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT CONFIDENTIAL Client Information Information
Name: RT Date of Birth: 8 August 1984 Gender: Female
C.A.: 29 years 1 month Race: Chinese
Assessment Information
Evaluation Date: 11 September 2013 Test(s) Conducted: Weshler Adult Intelligence Scale – Scale – Fourth Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) Language Used: English Trainee Psychologist: Samantha Ng Date of Report: 14 September 2013 This report is written for the purpose of providing information for the understanding of the individual’s psychological psychological needs. needs. It is confidential and information is to be interpreted by a qualified psychologist. psychologist. Due to developmental developmental changes changes in individuals, the results of the assessment are applicable for approximately 24 months.
REASON FOR REFERRAL:
RT was referred to allow this trainee psychologist to practice administering the WAIS- IV.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION I NFORMATION::
RT is a 29 year-old Chinese female. She is of average height with a muscular build. RT is is single and lives with her parents and younger sister in a condominium in Choa Chu Kang. They speak a mix of o f English and Mandarin at home, and RT’s preferred language is English. RT works as an insurance underwriter. She studied Business at Nanyang Technological University and graduated with honours. RT said she enjoyed and had greater aptitude for math-related subjects in her years of study, and had to work much harder for the language subjects, particularly Mandarin. There was no significant medical or developmental hist ory.
BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATIONS:
RT was neatly groomed and was dressed in a blouse and jeans on the day of testing. She was cheerful and responsive when asked questions. RT showed no problems understanding the instructions given during the assessment. She was cooperative, maintained good eye contact, and displayed good attention and concentration throughout the s ession. She did not request for breaks and declined taking breaks when offered. Based on these observations, the results described below are likely to be a good representation of RT’s a bilities.
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ASSESSMENT RESULTS:
The WAIS-IV is an individually administered intelligence test comprising 10 core subtests and 5 supplemental subtests. It provides an estimate of global intellectual functioning as well as estimates of RT's functioning in the areas of verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. This report is based on the 2008, 4 th edition of the WAIS. The analysis of RT’s scores is in relation to individuals within her age group in the U.S, and therefore should be interpreted with caution as RT has lived in Singapore all her li fe and her social, educational, and cultural experiences may differ from that of individuals in the US.
Summary of the WAIS-IV Index Scores Index Verbal Comprehension Perceptual Reasoning Working Memory Processing Speed Full Scale IQ (FSIQ)* General Ability Iindex (GAI)*
Standard Score 83
Percentile Rank 13
95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) 78-89
Classification Low Average
125
95
118-130
Superior
117
87
109-123
High Average
124
95
113-130
Superior
112
79
108-116
High Average
103
58
98-108
Average
* Cannot be meaningfully interpreted
Summary of the WAIS-IV sub-test scores Subtest Verbal Comprehension Index Similarities Vocabulary Information Perceptual Reasoning Index Block Design Matrix Reasoning Visual Puzzles Working Memory Index Digit Span Arithmetic Processing Speed Index Coding Symbol Search
Age-Scaled-Score
Classification
4 6 11
Far Below Average Below Average Average
15 14 14
Above Average Above Average Above Average
12 14
Average Above Average
13 16
Above Average Superior
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Overall Intellectual Ability General intellectual functioning is usually best represented by the FSIQ. The FSIQ is derived from a combined sum of scaled scores from the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), Working Memory Index (WMI), and Processing Speed Index (PSI). RT obtained a FSIQ score of 112 on the WAIS-IV. The chances that her true score is between 108 and 116 are about 95 out of 100 . RT’s overall performance is classified in the High Average range and is equal to or higher than that of 79% of indi viduals her age. However, this is not a meaningful interpretation as there was significant variability in RT’s scores across the four Indexes. The GAI provides an alternative measure of general intellectual functioning, which is less influenced by working memory and processing speed. It is derived from the sum of scaled scores from the VCI and PRI subtests. RT’s derived GAI score was 103, and the chances that her true score is between 98 and 108 are about 95 out of 100. RT’s performance, based on the GAI, is classified in the Average range and is equal to or higher than that of 58% of individuals her age. However, this is not a meaningful interpretation as there was a significant difference between RT’s scores on the VCI and PRI. The difficulties in inter preting RT’s FSIQ and GAI score can be attributed to her score on the VCI, which was significantly lower in relation to her scores on the other indexes. This suggests that RT’s nonverbal reasoning abilities are much better developed than her verbal abilities, and she may find it more challenging to make sense of complex verbal information and solve novel problems using words. RT’s intellectual functioning is therefore better understood by her performance on the separate WAIS-IV Indexes, as described in the following sections.
Verbal Comprehension The VCI is a measure of an individual’s ability to make sense of he has learnt and to express himself using words. The VCI comprises the Similarities, Vocabulary and Information core subtests, and the Comprehension supplemental subtest. Questions from the VCI subtests are presented verbally and the tested individual is required to respond as such. On the Similarities subtest, the individual is required to determine how two objects or concepts are alike. On the Vocabulary subtest, the individual is required to define words that are presented both visually and orally. On the Information subtest, the individual is required to answer questions that examine general knowledge. Lastly, the Comprehension supplemental subtest requires the individual to express their understanding of general principles and social situations. The three core VCI subtests were administered. RT’s VCI score was 83. The chances that her true score is between 78 and 89 are about 95 out of 100. RT’s performance is equal to or higher than that of 13% of individuals her age, and falls within t he Low Average range. As RT’s performance on the subtests that compose the VCI is quite variable, her VCI score should be interpreted with caution. In general, RT may display difficulties reasoning when using language or verbal information. On the Similarities subtest, RT’s performance was Far Below Average, indicating a significant weakness in comparison with the other subtests of the VCI. Despite having a basic
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understanding of the words, she struggled to categorize the information. This implies that she may face challenges in linking accurately and forming verbal concepts. On the Vocabulary subtest, RT’s performance was Below Average. She answered tentatively and was mostly able to capture the meanings of the words from completed items. RT is possibly not familiar with an extensive range of words, but is adequately able to retrieve and verbalise the meanings of a more limited vocabulary. On the Information subtest, RT’s performance was in the Average range, which was a significant strength in comparison with the other subtests of the VCI. This implies that RT may find it easier to recall and articulate information in contexts that are more meaningful to her.
Perceptual Reasoning The PRI is a measure of an individual’s natural problem-solving ability. The PRI comprises the Block Design, Matrix Reasoning, and Visual Puzzles core s ubtests, as well as the Figure Weights and Picture Completion supplemental subtests. The tasks involved are non-verbal and the individual tested is required to respond by manipulating objects or pointing to pictures, rather than responding verbally. On the Block Design subtest, the individual is required to reconstruct a design with red-and-white coloured blocks while viewing a constructed picture. On the Matrix Reasoning subtest, the individual chooses a response option to complete a matrix or series. The Visual Puzzles subtest requires the individual to select three response options that can be combined to reconstruct a given puzzle. For the Figure Weights supplemental subtest, the individual is required to choose an option of a specific weight which would balance a hypothetical scale. The Picture Completion supplemental subtest requires the individual to identify the missing part of a given picture. The three core PRI subtests were administered. RT’s PR I score was 125. The chances that her true score is between 118 and 130 are about 95 out of 100. RT’s performance is equal to or higher than that of 95% of individuals her age, and falls within t he Superior range. In comparison to her performance on the VCI, RT’s performance on the PRI subtests indicates that she reasons significantly better on visually presented information than on verbal information. RT’s score for each PRI subtest was Above Average. She was a ble to complete all the items in the Block Design subtest quickly and accurately, and mostly worked in a s ystematic “bottom-up” manner. She displayed much interest in this subtest, and reported having enjoyed it. RT was observed to persevere and think through each pattern before responding. This pattern of response was observed for both the Matrix Reasoning and Visual Puzzles subtests.
Working Memory The WMI is a measure of an individual’s ability to retain, organise, manipulate and recall information, and requires attention, concentration, mental control, and reasoning. The WMI comprises the Digit Span and Arithmetic core subtests, and the Letter-Number Sequencing supplemental subtest. On the Digit Span subtest, the individual is required to recall a series of
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verbally presented numbers forwards, backwards, and in a sequence. The Arithmetic subtest requires the individual to mentally solve a series of arithmetic problems. For the Letter Number Sequencing supplemental subtest, the individual is required to recall a series of verbally presented numbers and letters, and present the numbers in ascending order and the letters in alphabetical order. The two core WMI subtests were administered. RT’s WMI score was 117. The chances that her true score is between 109 and 123 are about 95 out of 100. RT’s performance is equal to or higher than that of 87% of individuals her age, and falls within the High Average range. This suggests that RT is able to process complex information quickly and accurately, which is an advantage in RT’s job as an underwriter. Throughout the assessment, RT was also observed to concentrate well on all the tasks, which is in accordance with what her WMI score suggests.
Processing Speed The PSI is a measure of how quickly an individual can think, manipulate, and apply knowledge that was presented visually. The PSI comprises the S ymbol Search and Coding core subtests, and the Cancellation supplemental subtest. These subtests require short-term visual memory, attention, and visual-motor (eye-hand) coordination. The Symbol Search subtest requires the individual to promptly identify the presence or absence of a target symbol within a group of five symbols. On the coding subtest, the individual is required to write down corresponding symbols to the numbers 1 to 9 presented in the visual key. For the Cancellation supplemental subtest, the individual is required to identify and mark specific shapes within a given variety of shapes. The two core PSI subtests were administered. RT’s PSI score was 124. The chances that her true score is between 113 and 130 are about 95 out of 100. RT’s performance is equal to or higher than that of 95% of individuals her age, and falls within t he High Average range. This implies that she has strong processing speed abili ties to quickly and correctly scan, sequence, or discriminate simple visual information. RT was also observed to work quickly on both the Symbol Search and Coding subtests, of which her responses were error-free. Based on her score and behavioural observations, it is likely that RT is a fast learner and is able to work well under time pressure.
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
RT is a 29-year-old Chinese female who was referred for testing to allow this trainee psychologist to practice administering the WAIS-IV. RT presents as an individual with well-developed nonverbal and mathematical skill s. She demonstrated strengths on majority of the subtests, with the exception of those that required her to respond using words. The results from this assessment recognized her abilities in reasoning, remembering information, and applying learned concepts quickly and accurately. In addition, the results from this assessment highlighted RT’s difficulties in recognizing relationships and expressing herself with a wide ra nge of words. This is in line with RT’s observations that she used to find language subjects significantly more challenging.
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Based on RT’s assessment results, the following are recommended: 1. 2. 3.
Develop working vocabulary by reading more extensively. Encourage writing and communicating using a wider range of words. Continue using RT’s strengths to her advantage in the workplace context.
_______________________ Samantha Ng Trainee Psychologist
