Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory

The Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory, (commonly abbreviated to CHC), is a prominent psychological theory on the structure of human cognitive abilities. Based on the work of three psychologists, Raymond B. Cattell, John L. Horn and John B. Carroll, the Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory is widely regarded as the most influential theory in the study of human intelligence. Based on a large body of research, spanning over 70 years, the theory was developed using the psychometric approach, the objective measurement of individual differences in abilities, and the application of factor analysis, a statistical technique which uncovers relationships between variables and the underlying structure of concepts such as 'intelligence' (Keith & Reynolds, 2010). The psychometric approach has consistently facilitated the development of reliable and valid measurement tools and continues to dominate the field of intelligence research (Neisser, 1996).

The Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory is an integration of two previously established theoretical models of intelligence: the Gf-Gc theory of fluid and crystallised intelligence (Cattell, 1941; Horn 1965), and Carroll's Three-Stratum theory (1993), a hierarchical, three-stratum model of intelligence. Due to substantial similarities between the two theories they were successfully amalgamated to form the Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory (Willis, 2011, p. 45).

In the late 1990s the CHC model was expanded by McGrew, later revised with the help of Flanagan. Later extensions of the model are detailed in McGrew (2011) and Schneider and McGrew (2012) There are a fairly large number of distinct individual differences in cognitive ability, and CHC theory holds that the relationships among them can be derived by classifying them into three different strata: stratum I, "narrow" abilities; stratum II, "broad abilities"; and stratum III, consisting of a single "general ability" (or g).

Today, the Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory is widely accepted as the most comprehensive and empirically supported theory of cognitive abilities, informing a substantial body of research and the ongoing development of IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tests (Kaufmann, 2009. p. 91).

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