The History of the #CHC Theory of #Cognitive Abilities in #Indonesia

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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:

• Early 2010s: The CHC theory started gaining attention in Indonesian academic and psychological circles, leading to research interest in applying the framework. The existing intelligence tests in Indonesia at the time were few and not necessarily based on contemporary, comprehensive models like CHC theory.
• 2013-2018: The AJT Cognitive Assessment Test (AJT-CAT) Project: The most significant development began around 2013, sponsored and directed by the Yayasan Dharma Bermakna Foundation (YDB).
• This project aimed to create the first comprehensive, individually administered intelligence test in Indonesia that was natively based on the CHC theory.
• Psychometric and CHC expert Dr. Kevin McGrew served as a consultant for this project.
• The test was nationally normed using a sample of over 4,000 Indonesian individuals aged 5-18.
• The formal launch of the AJT occurred in April 2018.
• Research and Further Test Development: Since the launch of the AJT, the CHC theory has continued to serve as a foundational framework for other, more specific test development efforts.
• Researchers have developed tests for specific abilities, such as a visual-spatial ability test for high school students and a lexical knowledge test, using the CHC theory as the underlying structural model.
• These studies emphasize the use of CHC theory to ensure tests are psychometrically sound and relevant for the Indonesian context, particularly for educational and clinical assessment purposes. 

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. 

 

AJT CHC Intelligence Test launch in Jakarta - a measure of 9 broad CHC abilities

Yesterday’s AJT CHC cognitive test launch yesterday in Jakarta was a big success. I was taken aback by the special “event” flavor. Extremely professional. As I’ve stated before, the AJT is based on an Indonesia norm sample of 4,800 and will be one if the most comprehensive intelligence tests in the world (on par with the WJ IV COG). It measures 9 broad CHC domains (Gf, Gc, Gwm, Ga, Gv, Gs, Gl, Gr, and some of Gp-separate from cognitive). This has been the most personally rewarding and important project I have worked on in my 40+ years in psychology and education. It is bringing the core concept of individual differences to the education system of the fourth largest country in the world.

George and Laurel Tahija (see picture below), and their YDB foundation, are the visionaries behind this project and other projects focused on helping unique learners in their country. In my five years on this project I can say that I’ve never worked with so many nice people. It was a grand effort by many. I am very impressed how together we built such a comprehensive and technically sound battery of tests from scratch. I have developed a fondness for Indonesia and the people of this wonderful country. The genuine warmth and enthusiasm of the participants was personally moving.

For more information check out these two links (one; two)

Conflict of interest disclosure.  I have been a paid consultant for this project but do not receive any royalties from sales of the test.

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Indonesia AJT CHC Intelligence test first official launch at UGM in Jogyakarta.

Next stop Jakarta.

One of the most comprehensive intelligence tests in the world (on par with WJ IV). When I have time I will post more. The most important project I have worked on in my 40+ years in psychology and education.

The AJT Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) test of intelligence for Indonesia: Launch in April 2018 as one of the most comprehenvise intelligence tests in the world

For the past 5 years I've served as a consultant to the Yayasan Dharma Bermakna foundation for the development of the AJT test of intelligence in Indonesia.  The AJT is a Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) based measure of intelligence.  The AJT is the first individually-administered, comprehensive, test of intelligence developed and normed in Indonesia.

The AJT will be one of the most comprehensive intelligence tests in the world--18 individual tests; 8 broad CHC ability domains).  The formal launch of the AJT will occur next month (April, 2018) in Indonesia.  During one of my recent visits I was filmed discussing various aspects of the AJT. This material is now available in a series of 9 videos [which I don't like to view as I don't like hearing my voice on tape, let alone seeing myself on video :) ..and now I wish I would have worn a suit--but it gets awful hot and humid in Indonesia, especially for someone who lives in Minnesota].  The first is included in this post.  You can find the complete list at this link.

Enjoy.  Take it easy on me...I am not a professional actor.

CHC impact: The Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) taxonomy of cognitive abilities has gone global

[Note.  Original post on March 6, 2017 has now been updated (March 7, 2017) to include reference to research in Spain]

The CHC taxonomy is officially a globetrotter with a large bank of frequent flier miles.   An indicator of the increasing prominence and spread of the CHC taxonomy is reflected in the globalization of CHC assessment activities in countries beyond the United States.  Several examples, which are not exhaustive, are summarized below. 

The influence of CHC theory, primarily via university assessment training in the use of the CHC-based Batería III Woodcock-Munoz (BAT III; Muñoz-Sandoval, Woodcock, McGrew, Mather, N. (2005a, 2005b), is prominent in Spanish speaking countries south of the US border.  This includes training, research or clinical use of the BAT III in Cuba, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, and Guatemala.^[1]  Farther south, researchers in Brazil were early adopters of the CHC taxonomy as a guide for intelligence test development (Primi, 2003; Wechsler & de Cassia Nakano, 2016).  For example, Wechsler and colleagues (Wechsler & Schelini, 2006; Wechsler Nunes, Schelini, Pasian, Homsi, Moretti, & Anache, 2010; Wechsler, Vendramini, & Schelini, 2007) completed several studies in an attempt to adapt the CHC-based WJ III to Brazil.  More recently, Wechsler, Vendramini, Schelini, Lourenconi, de Souza and Bundim (2014) developed the Brazilian Adult Intelligence Battery (BAIB), which although only measuring Gf and Gc, is grounded in CHC theory.  Other Brazilian researchers have focused on the nature and measurement of Gf (Primi, Maria Ferrã, Almeida, 2010; Primi, 2014) with their research clearly couched in the context of the CHC model.  Even broader in scope, I (Kevin McGrew) together with Dr. Joel Schneider consulted with researchers from the Brazilian Ayrton Senna Institute (from 2016 to 2017) on the use of the CHC model as the key cognitive ability framework for developing measures of critical thinking and creativity as per the Organization for Economic Cooperationand Development (OECD, 2016) efforts to develop 21st century skills in students.

CHC influences are also present north of the US border in Canada.  The CHC-based WJ III has been used by practitioners in Canada based on a US-Canadian matched sampled comparison study (Ford, Swart, Negreiros, Lacroix & McGrew, 2010).  The WJ IV is also sold and used in Canada.  Additionally, a school-based group administered CHC test (Insight; Beal, 2011) measuring Gf, Gc, Gv, Ga, Gwm, Glr, Gs, CDS (Gt) is available in Canada.  CHC theory and testing has a prominent place in school psychology assessment courses in several major Canadian universities (e.g., University of British Columbia; University of Alberta).^[2]

One of first systematic global CHC test development outreach project was efforts, led by Richard Woodcock and the Woodcock-Munoz Foundation, to provide Eastern European countries with cost-effective briefer versions of the CHC-based Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability—Third Edition.   The WJ III-IE (international editions) projects started in the early 2000’s and continued until approximately 2015.  WJ III-IE norming efforts occurred in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, and Slovakia.  Other European efforts include the development of the Austrian-developed computerized Intelligence Structure Battery (INSBAT; Arendasy, Hornket, Sommer, Wagner-Menghin, Gittler, Hausler, Bongnar, & Wenzl, 2012) that measures six broad CHC abilities (Gf, Gq, Gc, Gwm, Gv, Glr).  The spread of CHC theory has also reached France and Spain.  French researchers have analyzed French versions of the various Wechsler scales from the perspective of the CHC framework (e.g., see Golay, Reverte, Rossier J, Favez N and Lecerf, 2013; also, Lecerf, Rossier, Favez, Revert and Coleaux, 2010).  In Spain, researchers in computer science education have used the CHC taxonomy to analyze the components of the Computational Thinking Test (CTt; Roman-Gonzalez, Perez-Gonzalez, Jimenez-Fernandez, 2016). German intelligence research has also been influenced by the CHC model (e.g., see Baghaei & Tabatabaee, 2015) as best illustrated by its incorporation in the popular German-based Berlin Intelligence Structure (BIS) program of research literature (Beauducel, Brocke & Liepmann, 2001; SÜß & Beauducel, 2015; Vock, Preckel, Holling, 201X),  Additionally, the Wuerzburger Psychologische Kurz-Diagnostik (WUEP-KD), a neuropsychological battery used in German speaking countries, is grounded in the CHC model (Ottensmeier, Zimolong, Wolff, Ehrich, Galley, von Hoff , Kuehl and Rutkowski, 2015).

Additional emerging CHC outposts in northern Europe include the Netherlands and Belgium.  Hurksa and Bakker (2016) reviewed the influence of CHC theory, as well as the neuropsychological PASS theory, in an article providing a historical overview of intelligence testing efforts in the Netherlands.  A strong indicator of the growing interest in CHC theory was a CHC theory and assessment conference (New angles on intelligence! A closer look on the CHC–model) at Thomas More University, Antwerp Belgium, in February 2015.  Faculty at Thomas More University have developed a CHC assessment battery (CoVaT-CHC) for children in Flanders that measures the CHC domains of Gf, Gc, Gv, Gwm, and Gs. 

Transported via the Chunnel to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, the CHC flame has been lit, but has not yet resulted in significant CHC test development.  In the 1990’s the WJ III author team was consulted to develop Irish norms for the WJ III.  One of the WJ III authors (Fred Schrank) visited and consulted at several universities in Ireland (University College Dublin, in particular) and continues to do so regarding the WJ IV (Fred Schrank, personal communication, March 2, 2017).  The CHC theory is now the dominant cognitive taxonomy taught in psychology departments (Trevor James, personal communication, March 3, 2017). 

Traveling to the Middle East, known CHC activities have been occurring in Jordan and Turkey.  Under the direction of Bashir Abu-Hamour (Abu-Hamour, 2014; Abu-Hamour, Hmouz, Mattar & Muhaidat, 2012;), the CHC-based WJ III has received considerable attention and the WJ IV was recently translated, adapted, and nationally normed in Jordan (Abu-Hamour & Al-Hmouz, 2017).  In Turkey, the first national intelligence test (Anatolu-Sak Intelligence Scale; ASIS) was developed between 2015-2017.  Although the ASIS composite scores are not couched in the CHC nomenclature, the theories listed as the foundation for the Turkish ASIS are general intelligence, CHC and PASS.  Additionally, I (Kevin McGrew) worked with two universities in 2016 in the preparation of government sponsored grant proposals for additional national intelligence test development in Turkey, both that proposed to use the CHC taxonomy. 

Pivoting toward Asia and the world “down under” reveals major CHC test development efforts.  Since the publication of the CHC-based WJ III several key universities and an Australian publisher have delved deep into CHC theory and assessment.  Psychological Assessments Australia (PAA) has translated, adapted, and normed the CHC-based WJ III and WJ IV in Australia and New Zealand.  The Melbourne area has been a particular flash point for CHC training and research.  Neuropsychologist and researcher Stephen Bowden and his students at the University of Melbourne have produced a series of multiple sample confirmatory factor analysis studies with markers of CHC abilities to investigate the constructs measured by neuropsychological tests measures.  The University of Monash, initially under the direction of John Roodenburg, and subsequently by his students, placed the CHC model at the core of their assessment course sequence and have influenced in the infusion of the CHC framework into the assessment practices of Australian psychologists (James, Jacobs, Roodenburg, 2015). 

Finally, one of the most ambitious CHC test development projects has been occurring in Indonesia since 2013.  Sponsored and directed by the Yayasan Dharma Bermakna Foundation (YDB), a nationally normed (over 4000 individuals) individually administered CHC-based battery of tests for school age children (ages 5-18) is, at the time of this writing, nearing completion.  The AJT Cognitive Assessment Test (AJT-CAT) will be one of the most comprehensive individually administered tests of cognitive abilities in the world.  The AJT-CAT currently consists of 27 individual cognitive tests designed to measure 21 different narrow CHC abilities (and two psychomotor tests to screen for motor difficulties) and preliminary confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the battery measure eight broad CHC cognitive domains (Gf, Gc, Gv, Gwm, Ga, Gs, Gl, Gr) and the Gp motor domain.^[3]

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^[1] Thanks to Dr. Todd Fletcher for providing this information.

^[2] Thanks to Laurie Ford and Damien Cormier for this information.

^[3] Kevin McGrew has served as the CHC and applied psychometric expert consultant on this project and helped complete these preliminary structural analyses. 

Honored to present (4 days ago) on CHC theory at the University of Indonesia

How is that for a CHC Periodic Table of Human Elements!!!!!! More to come in the next month on how to get your own (very much smaller) laminated version.  Click on image to enlarge.

This presentation is part of my work as a consultant on the YDB AJT COGTEST project, a project to develop the first ever individually administered comprehensive CHC based of intelligence developed and standardized in Indonesia.  It will be one of the most comprehensive measures of intelligence in the world, close to the coverage of the WJ IV.

Honored to present (two days ago) at AP2TPI (Indonesian Assoc. of Psychology Higher Education Providers) in Yogyakarta Indonesia - Spreading the CHC model of intelligence to the Dean's of the Faculties of Psychology in Indonesia

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This presentation is part of my work as a consultant on the YDB AJT COGTEST project, a project to develop the first ever individually administered comprehensive CHC based of intelligence developed and standardized in Indonesia.  It will be one of the most comprehensive measures of intelligence in the world, close to the coverage of the WJ IV.