Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests
See prior post regarding Hamm v Smith Atkins ID death penalty case where central issue is how to handle multiple IQ scores. All briefs are at that prior blog post page.
Oral arguments before the SCOTUS justices occurred this past Wednesday, 12-10-25. One can download audio file (arguments lasted 2 hours) or transcript of arguments at this link.
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A B S T R A C T
The rapid growth of research literature has made systematic reviews and meta-analyses increasingly time-consuming, limiting their utility in fast-evolving fields such as educational psychology. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have enormous potential to streamline these processes, yet their adoption remains limited due to usability issues and a lack of systematic guidance. Out of 282 tools that we compiled from overviews that listed AI tools for research syntheses, we filtered a subset of 7 AI tools that met quality standards, such as transparency and accessibility. These tools were evaluated for their potential to support systematic reviews and meta-analyses in educational psychology. Our review highlights the tools' strengths, limitations, and ethical considerations for their responsible use by providing practical guidance and coding information. Educational relevance statement: This research identifies and evaluates AI tools that streamline systematic reviews and meta-analyses, addressing critical challenges in synthesizing educational psychology research. By making these processes more efficient, accessible, and accurate, the study empowers educators and researchers to derive timely insights into diverse learner needs. Practically, the findings guide the adoption of AI tools that reduce workload and cognitive bias, enabling more evidence-based and inclusive educational practices. This work supports the advancement of scientifically rigorous methods that enhance understanding of individual differences in learning, directly contributing to improved educational interventions and outcomes
Abstract
The Woodcock–Johnson V Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ V COG), published in February 2025, offers the latest edition of the WJ family of tests alongside tests of academic achievement and oral language. The WJ V COG has changed substantially from previous editions regarding administration, which is now entirely digital. Administration and scoring are housed within the Riverside Insight's online platform. The test battery features several changes, such as the addition of five new tests and the removal of three tests, including measures of Auditory Processing (Ga). The WJ V COG maintains a CHC-based theoretical framework, although updated to align with current theory. Psychometric evidence, including validity, reliability, and item-level analysis, is robust. Evidence is less convincing for children under six. The assessment was co-normed with measures of academic achievement, and the norm sample was gathered post-COVID. Although some may find requirements of digital administration limiting, the WJ V COG offers an engaging and psychometrically sound option for the assessment of intelligence.
Keywords: assessment, intelligence, cognitive, digital administration, test review
The above independent review of the WJ V cognitive battery is now available for reading (and downloading) as an open access article at the Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment.
COI statement: I, Dr. Kevin McGrew, am senior author of the WJ V. However, I no longer (as in the past with the WJ III through WJ IV) have a royalty interest in the in the WJ V—I make ZERO income based on how many are sold. The publisher moved to a new independent contractor reimbursement model where the authors were paid for work on the WJ V prior to publication. However, I clearly have a potential professional non-income based COI given my lengthy history with the WJ batteries and my professional reputation. I do still receive royalties for sales of the WJ IV. I also have no post-publication contract (or COI) to work on any new features that the publisher adds to the digital product after the formal release in Feb 2025, which as a digital product, can add new features on a semi-regular basis. In other words, consider me an “unrestricted free agent” in the intelligence testing space. 😉
I seldom designate an article as a recommended reading. I typically make FYI posts about new research I finding interesting in my small corner of the larger sandbox of psychology…more as FYI alerts. I break with my typical FYI research alert blogging behavior for this article by Dr. John D. Mayer. I recommend reading Mayer’s thought provoking article—especially since it is open source and can be downloaded and read for free (click here to access).
Why? Because it is a well-reasoned “thought piece” about the many unanswered questions regarding the potential positive and negative impact of AI on humans, in this case, human personality and cognition. I’m relatively new to the fast-moving AI movement and, as an educational psychologist, I’m interested in how certain cognitive abilities (especially CHC cognitive abilities) may become “skilled” or “deskilled” with greater reliance on AI.
This is an open access article that can be read/downloaded at this link.
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Approximately seven years ago I made a post regarding the launch of the AJT CHC-based intelligence test developed and normed in Indonesia. I was the primary CHC theory and applied psychometrics consultant for the project for four years (2014 to 2017).
Unfortunately the timing of the formal AJT launch was impacted by several unanticipated factors (e.g., the lack of a mature university-based psychological assessment and interpretation training infrastructure), the most salient being the world-wide COVID pandemic. At that time the AJT folks put the project on “pause”. To date I’ve not heard if the project has since been restarted.
I decided to check on the impact of the CHC theory of cognitive abilities in Indonesia. It was my impression, based on multiple keynote university-based CHC/AJT presentations I made during the project plus feedback from the project staff, that despite the AJT pause, the project had a major impact regarding the infusion of the CHC theory in universities (psychology departments) and private testing entities.
To satisfy my curiosity, I performed the following Google AI queries. Below is what I I found. Professionally I feel very proud that the four-year AJT project resulted in the quick infusion of CHC theory in the academic and private sector discourse. All entities and staff who worked on the project should be proud of the CHC impact in Indonesia.
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On 11-09-2025 I, Dr. Kevin McGrew, submitted the following prompt question, followed by a second follow-up question to a Google AI search (that uses the Gemini large language model) with the Firefox web browser (version 144.0.2, released on October 28, 2025).
“What is the history of the CHC theory of intelligence in Indonesia?
The history of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of intelligence in Indonesia is relatively recent, primarily involving efforts to develop and validate locally normed intelligence tests based on the CHC framework. The theory has been recognized as the "most comprehensive theory" for structuring cognitive abilities and has been used in academic research and test development.
Key milestones in the history include:
The history of CHC theory in Indonesia is marked by a shift towards developing culturally relevant, psychometrically robust assessments grounded in contemporary, internationally recognized theories of intelligence, moving beyond older or imported models.
What psychologist is most associated with the CHC theory in Indonesia?
The psychologist most prominently associated with the application and development of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory in Indonesia is the American psychometric expert Dr. Kevin McGrew. Dr. McGrew served as the primary international consultant for the development of the AJT Cognitive Assessment Test (AJT-CAT), which was the first individually administered, CHC-theory-based intelligence test developed and nationally normed in Indonesia. This project was a major collaborative effort between 2013 and 2018 involving the Yayasan Dharma Bermakna Foundation (YDB) and the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM).
While the CHC theory in Indonesia involves contributions from several Indonesian researchers and institutions, Dr. McGrew is the most widely recognized figure due to his direct supervision of this foundational project and his broader international reputation as a leading scholar and "gatekeeper" of the CHC theory.
PDF copy of article can be downloaded here.
Abstract
Poor processing speed (PS) is frequently observed in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, mixed findings exist on the predictive validity of such processing speed impairment and the role of working memory (WM). We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients evaluated at a developmental assessment clinic between March 2018 and December 2022. Patients with available data on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) and the Woodcock-Johnson, Fourth Edition, Tests of Achievement (WJ IV ACH) were included (n = 77, 69 % male; Mage = 10.6, SDage = 2.5; FSIQ range = 47–129). We performed a mediation analysis with academic fluency (AF) as the dependent variable, PS as the predictor, WM as the mediator, and academic skills and general intelligence as covariates. Both the direct and indirect effects of PS were significant prior to adding covariates. However, only the direct effect of PS was robust, independent of the effects of academic skills and general intelligence. The indirect effect of PS through WM was insignificant after accounting for the general academic skills and intelligence. Therefore, PS explains a unique variance in AF. This finding suggests that PS may be an exception to the criticism of cognitive profile analysis. Interpreting the PS score as a relative strength or weakness within a cognitive profile may uniquely predict their timed academic performance in youth with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Extremely interesting (important/intriging) CHC cognitive-reading achievement relations meta-SEM paper. Why? Because, as far as I know, it is the first g+specific abilities paper to evaluate a model with causal relations specified within and between cognitive and reading achievement CHC constructs. Paper info below, as well as open access link to PDF. Also, this is the first time I’ve seen a meta-structural equation modeling analysis. Kudos to the authors.
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Abstract
Cognitive tests measure psychological constructs that predict the development of academic skills. Research on cognitive–reading achievement relations has primarily been completed with single-test batteries and samples, resulting in inconsistencies across studies. The current study developed a consensus model of cognitive–reading achievement relations using meta-structural equation modeling (meta-SEM) through a cross-sectional analysis of subtest correlations from English-language norm-referenced tests. The full dataset used for this study included 49,959 correlations across 599 distinct correlation matrices.These included correlations among 1112 subtests extracted from 137 different cognitive and achievement test batteries. The meta-SEM approach allowed for increased sampling of cognitive and academic reading skills measured by various test batteries to better inform the validity of construct relations. The findings were generally consistent with previous research, suggesting that cognitive abilities are important predictors of reading skills and generalize across different test batteries and samples. The findings are also consistent with integrated cognitive–reading models and have implications for assessment and intervention frameworks.
Keywords: cognitive abilities; reading skills; cognitive–achievement relations; CHC theory;meta-structural equation modeling
