Saiki Does Not Measure IQ
It is important to be upfront about this: Saiki is a personality questionnaire, not an intelligence test. Comparing it to the WAIS-IV helps clarify what each tool is actually designed to do so you can choose the right one for your needs.
Saiki is not a replacement for the WAIS-IV and does not attempt to measure IQ or general cognitive ability. If you need a clinically recognized measure of intelligence, the WAIS-IV administered by a licensed psychologist is the appropriate tool.
What the WAIS-IV Measures
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) is the clinical gold standard for measuring cognitive intelligence. It assesses:
- Verbal Comprehension: Vocabulary, reasoning, general knowledge
- Perceptual Reasoning: Visual-spatial thinking, pattern recognition
- Working Memory: Holding and manipulating information mentally
- Processing Speed: Speed and accuracy on routine visual tasks
The result is an IQ score with well-established norms, validated through decades of research. It requires 90-120 minutes, a trained psychologist to administer, and costs $500-$1,500.
What Saiki Actually Measures
Saiki combines two things:
- A HEXACO personality questionnaire: a self-report assessment covering Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, eXtraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience. HEXACO is a scientifically validated trait model. Your self-report scores are your answers to the questionnaire.
- Experimental behavioral indicators: heuristic signals derived from your recent League of Legends matches, placed alongside your self-report scores. These indicators are explicitly labeled experimental; they are not validated personality measurements. They show what patterns appear in your recent gameplay data and how those patterns compare directionally to your self-report.
Saiki also shows a “Strategic Play” panel of gameplay statistics. This panel is explicitly labeled as not a personality trait or an IQ score.
The Research Basis for a Future Cognitive Feature
There is real published research linking MOBA performance to cognitive ability. A 2017 University of York study (Kokkinakis et al., PLoS One) found a significant positive correlation between League of Legends rank and fluid intelligence measured under controlled lab conditions. The age profile of MOBA performance also closely mirrors the known age profile of fluid intelligence. The authors suggested that commercial games could potentially serve as population-level proxy tests of cognitive performance.
This research is the scientific foundation for a cognitive-ability assessment feature that is currently in development for Saiki. It does not mean Saiki measures IQ today; it means there is a credible research basis for exploring what gameplay patterns might reveal about cognitive performance in the future. When that feature launches, we will be explicit about what it measures and what its limitations are.
Why This Comparison Still Makes Sense
Both tools involve self-reflection and can surface useful insights. Saiki’s appeal relative to clinical assessments is practical: it is free, takes about 20 minutes, requires no professional, and is built for people who already play League of Legends. The cost-benefit calculation is very different.
| Factor | Saiki | WAIS-IV |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $500-$1,500 |
| Time | ~20 min | 90-120 min |
| Professional Required | No | Licensed psychologist |
| Measures | HEXACO personality traits | Cognitive intelligence (IQ) |
| Behavioral indicators | Experimental, heuristic | N/A |
| Clinical recognition | None | Gold standard |
When to Use Each
Use Saiki if you are a League of Legends player curious about your personality profile and want to see how your self-reported traits compare to patterns in your recent gameplay. It is a tool for self-reflection and gaming-native context, not clinical assessment.
Use WAIS-IV if you need a clinically recognized measure of cognitive ability: for educational accommodations, clinical diagnosis, legal proceedings, or cognitive rehabilitation baseline.
The two tools answer different questions and are not in competition. Saiki is honest about what it is: an engaging, gaming-native personality questionnaire with experimental gameplay indicators, not an IQ test.