The Cattell–Horn–Carroll Model of Cognition for Clinical Assessment

Abstract

The Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) model is a comprehensive model of the major dimensions of individual differences that underlie performance on cognitive tests. Studies evaluating the generality of the CHC model across test batteries, age, gender, and culture were reviewed and found to be overwhelmingly supportive. However, less research is available to evaluate the CHC model for clinical assessment. The CHC model was shown to provide good to excellent fit in nine high-quality data sets involving popular neuropsychological tests, across a range of clinically relevant populations. Executive function tests were found to be well represented by the CHC constructs, and a discrete executive function factor was found not to be necessary. The CHC model could not be simplified without significant loss of fit. The CHC model was supported as a paradigm for cognitive assessment, across both healthy and clinical populations and across both nonclinical and neuropsychological tests. The results have important implications for theoretical modeling of cognitive abilities, providing further evidence for the value of the CHC model as a basis for a common taxonomy across test batteries and across areas of assessment.

The Factor Structure of Cognitive Functioning in Cognitively Healthy Participants: a Meta-Analysis and Meta-Analysis of Individual Participant Data

“…However, in accordance with Jewsbury et al, we still characterize this version as the CHC model. Jewsbury, Bowden, and Duff (2016) demonstrated that the CHC model as they formulate it fits well in each of the nine neuropsychological datasets they studied, with only minor adaptations for each dataset. One addition to the CHC, as it was adapted to clinical neuropsychology, was the inclusion of Fluency as a separate latent variable Schneider & McGrew, 2018).…”

“…The four domains for the included tests are "Verbal symbolic abilities," "Attention or working memory," "Processing speed," and "Learning and memoryverbal and visual." The seventh and eighth models were two variants of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model as described by Jewsbury, Bowden, and Duff (2016). The CHC model was developed in intelligence research rather than in clinical neuropsychology (Floyd, Bergeron, Hamilton, & Parra, 2010;McGrew, 2009;Schneider & McGrew, 2018).…”

“…For a review of how the Cattell-Horn-Carroll model came into existence, and how it has evolved over time, see Schneider and McGrew (2018). Jewsbury, Bowden, and Duff (2016) formulated one specific version of this CHC model where the higher-order factor g is not included. Therefore, it can be argued that their model does not include Carroll's original contribution.…”

Predictive Value of Traditional Measures of Executive Function on Broad Abilities of the Cattell–Horn–Carroll Theory of Cognitive Abilities

“…The role of neuropsychological constructs, particularly EF, in CHC theory is currently under debate (Jewsbury, Bowden, & Duff, 2016). From their respective definitions only, it may be argued that EF and intelligence are partly overlapping constructs.…”

“…Recently, Jewsbury et al (2016) concluded that the concept of EF is redundant in the CHC model. A separate EF factor in the model did not add to the explained variance by the CHC model.…”