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Today, I have the honor of speaking with Dr. Kevin McGrew, lead author of the Woodcock-Johnson battery and a leading expert on intelligence theory, to re-examine how we understand and evaluate human intelligence. We discuss his career journey from practicing school psychologist to educational researcher. Dr. McGrew breaks down the mathematical limitations of relying solely on IQ scores to predict academic performance. We unpack his CAMML model (Cognitive Affective Motivation Model of Learning) to evaluate how motivation, self-beliefs, and self-regulated learning drive real-world achievement. Finally, we discuss why general intelligence (g) may be better understood as an emergent property rather than a biological entity in the brain, alongside emerging digital innovations and psychometric network models shaping the future of assessment.
Main Topics Discussed
00:52: Early experiences in school psychology and developing a foundational interest in individual differences
04:08: Alan Kaufman’s intelligent testing framework and early clinical adoption of the Woodcock-Johnson
17:50: The historical 1986 meeting bringing together John Horn and John Carroll to form CHC theory
20:49: The Forrest Gump presentation and the mathematical reality of standard errors of estimate
30:14: Introducing the CAMEL model for evaluating non-cognitive drivers of learning
42:25: Addressing structural gaps in graduate training regarding motivation and individual differences
53:01: Re-evaluating general intelligence (g) as an emergent property akin to engine horsepower
01:06:33: Future frontiers in assessment including psychometric network models, meta-SEMs, and millisecond digital timing
Resources Mentioned
Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists
Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists
Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists
Mind Hub (Dr. Kevin McGrew’s official research site): https://www.iitemindhub.com
Canadian Journal of School Psychology (McGrew 2022 CAMEL Model Paper): https://journals.sagepub.com/home/cjs
Journal of Intelligence (McGrew 2023 Network Analysis Paper): https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jintelligence
Marker Learning Research and Test Blueprint: https://www.markerlearning.com
National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO): https://nceo.info
Cross-Battery Assessment (XBA) 4th Edition by Dawn P. Flanagan et al.: https://www.wiley.com
Dr. McGrew’s Handout
Featured Resources
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About Dr. Kevin McGrew
Dr. Kevin McGrew has been a practicing school psychologist, educational psychologist researcher interested in individual differences in learning, professor of applied psychology, coauthor of the WJ III, WJ V, and WJ V (lead author), intelligence and applied psychometric expert witness/consultant in “Atkins” intellectual disability death penalty cases, and is the director of the Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP).
Get in touch:
Email: iqmcgrew@gmail.com
Web: www.themindhub.com
Blog: www.iqscorner.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmcgrew
About Dr. Jeremy Sharp
I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.
As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.
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This post is Copyright: | November 9, 2026
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