Learning Domains or Bloom's

Taxonomy
The Three Types of Learning
There is more than one type of learning. A committee of colleges, led by
Benjamin Bloom, identified three domains of educational activities:
o

Cognitive: mental skills (K n o w l e d g e )

Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (A t t i t u d e )

Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (S k i l l s )

Since the work was produced by higher education, the words tend to be a little
bigger than we normally use. Domains can be thought of as categories. Trainers
often refer to these three domains as KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude). This
taxonomy of learning behaviors can be thought of as "the goals of the training
process." That is, after the training session, the learner should have acquired
new skills, knowledge, and/or attitudes.
The committee also produced an elaborate compilation for the cognitive and
affective domains, but none for the psychomotor domain. Their explanation for
this oversight was that they have little experience in teaching manual skills within
the college level (I guess they never thought to check with their sports or drama
department).
This compilation divides the three domains into subdivisions, starting from the
simplest behavior to the most complex. The divisions outlined are not absolutes
and there are other systems or hierarchies that have been devised in the

educational and training world. However, Bloom's taxonomy is easily understood

and is probably the most widely applied one in use today.

Cognitive Domain

(1)

The cognitive domain involves knowledge and the development of intellectual

skills. This includes the recall or recognition of specific facts, procedural patterns,
and concepts that serve in the development of intellectual abilities and skills.
There are six major categories, which are listed in order below, starting from the
simplest behavior to the most complex. The categories can be thought of as
degrees of difficulties. That is, the first one must be mastered before the next one
can take place.

Category

Example and Key

Words

Knowledge: Recall data or

Examples: Recite a policy. Quote prices from

information.

memory to a customer. Knows the safety rules.

Key Words: defines, describes, identifies, knows,
labels, lists, matches, names, outlines, recalls,
recognizes, reproduces, selects, states.

Comprehension:

Examples: Rewrites the principles of test writing.

Understand the meaning,

Explain in ones own words the steps for

translation, interpolation, and

performing a complex task. Translates an equation

interpretation of instructions

into a computer spreadsheet.

and problems. State a

problem in one's own words.

Key Words: comprehends, converts, defends,

distinguishes, estimates, explains, extends,
generalizes, gives Examples, infers, interprets,
paraphrases, predicts, rewrites, summarizes,
translates.

Application: Use a concept

in a new situation or
unprompted use of an

Examples: Use a manual to calculate an

employees vacation time. Apply laws of statistics
to evaluate the reliability of a written test.

abstraction. Applies what

Key Words: applies, changes, computes,

was learned in the

constructs, demonstrates, discovers, manipulates,

classroom into novel

modifies, operates, predicts, prepares, produces,

situations in the work place.

relates, shows, solves, uses.

Analysis: Separates
material or concepts into
component parts so that its
organizational structure may
be understood.

Examples: Troubleshoot a piece of equipment by

using logical deduction. Recognize logical fallacies
in reasoning. Gathers information from a
department and selects the required tasks for
training.

Distinguishes between facts

Key Words: analyzes, breaks down, compares,

and inferences.

contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates,

discriminates, distinguishes, identifies, illustrates,
infers, outlines, relates, selects, separates.

Synthesis: Builds a
structure or pattern from
diverse elements. Put parts
together to form a whole,
with emphasis on creating a
new meaning or structure.

Examples: Write a company operations or process

manual. Design a machine to perform a specific
task. Integrates training from several sources to
solve a problem. Revises and process to improve
the outcome.
Key Words: categorizes, combines, compiles,
composes, creates, devises, designs, explains,
generates, modifies, organizes, plans, rearranges,
reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises,
rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes.

Evaluation: Make
judgments about the value of
ideas or materials.

Examples: Select the most effective solution. Hire

the most qualified candidate. Explain and justify a
new budget.

Key Words: appraises, compares, concludes,

contrasts, criticizes, critiques, defends, describes,
discriminates, evaluates, explains, interprets,
justifies, relates, summarizes, supports.

Affective Domain

(2)

This domain includes the manner in which we deal with things emotionally, such
as feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasms, motivations, and attitudes. The
five major categories are listed from the simplest behavior to the most complex:

Category

Example and Key

Words

Receiving Phenomena:
Awareness, willingness to
hear, selected attention.

Examples: Listen to others with respect. Listen for

and remember the name of newly introduced
people.
Key Words: asks, chooses, describes, follows,
gives, holds, identifies, locates, names, points to,
selects, sits, erects, replies, uses.

Responding to
Phenomena: Active
participation on the part of
the learners. Attends and

Examples: Participates in class discussions.

Gives a presentation. Questions new ideals,
concepts, models, etc. in order to fully understand
them. Know the safety rules and practices them.

reacts to a particular

Key Words: answers, assists, aids, complies,

phenomenon. Learning

conforms, discusses, greets, helps, labels,

outcomes may emphasize

performs, practices, presents, reads, recites,

compliance in responding,

reports, selects, tells, writes.

willingness to respond, or
satisfaction in responding

(motivation).

Valuing: The worth or value

a person attaches to a
particular object,
phenomenon, or
behavior. This ranges from
simple acceptance to the
more complex state of

Examples: Demonstrates belief in the democratic

process. Is sensitive towards individual and cultural
differences (value diversity). Shows the ability to
solve problems. Proposes a plan to social
improvement and follows through with
commitment. Informs management on matters that
one feels strongly about.

commitment. Valuing is

Key Words: completes, demonstrates,

based on the internalization

differentiates, explains, follows, forms, initiates,

of a set of specified values,

invites, joins, justifies, proposes, reads, reports,

while clues to these values

selects, shares, studies, works.

are expressed in the

learners overt behavior and
are often identifiable.

Organization: Organizes
values into priorities by
contrasting different values,
resolving conflicts between
them, and creating an
unique value system. The
emphasis is on comparing,
relating, and synthesizing
values.

Examples: Recognizes the need for balance

between freedom and responsible
behavior. Accepts responsibility for ones behavior.
Explains the role of systematic planning in solving
problems. Accepts professional ethical
standards. Creates a life plan in harmony with
abilities, interests, and beliefs. Prioritizes time
effectively to meet the needs of the organization,
family, and self.
Key Words: adheres, alters, arranges, combines,
compares, completes, defends, explains,
formulates, generalizes, identifies, integrates,
modifies, orders, organizes, prepares, relates,
synthesizes.

Internalizing values
(characterization): Has a
value system that controls
their behavior. The behavior
is pervasive, consistent,
predictable, and most
importantly, characteristic of
the learner. Instructional

Examples: Shows self-reliance when working

independently. Cooperates in group
activities (displays teamwork). Uses an objective
approach in problem solving. Displays a
professional commitment to ethical practice on a
daily basis. Revises judgments and changes
behavior in light of new evidence. Values people
for what they are, not how they look.

objectives are concerned

Key Words: acts, discriminates, displays,

with the student's general

influences, listens, modifies, performs, practices,

patterns of adjustment

proposes, qualifies, questions, revises, serves,

(personal, social, emotional).

solves, verifies.

Psychomotor Domain

(3)

The psychomotor domain includes physical movement, coordination, and use of

the motor-skill areas. Development of these skills requires practice and is
measured in terms of speed, precision, distance, procedures, or techniques in
execution. The seven major categories are listed from the simplest behavior to
the most complex:

Category

Example and Key

Words

Perception: The ability to

use sensory cues to guide
motor activity. This ranges
from sensory stimulation,
through cue selection, to
translation.

Examples: Detects non-verbal communication

cues. Estimate where a ball will land after it is
thrown and then moving to the correct location to
catch the ball. Adjusts heat of stove to correct
temperature by smell and taste of food. Adjusts the
height of the forks on a forklift by comparing where
the forks are in relation to the pallet.

Key Words: chooses, describes, detects,

differentiates, distinguishes, identifies, isolates,
relates, selects.

Set: Readiness to act. It

includes mental, physical,
and emotional sets. These
three sets are dispositions
that predetermine a persons
response to different
situations (sometimes called
mindsets).

Examples: Knows and acts upon a sequence of

steps in a manufacturing process. Recognize
ones abilities and limitations. Shows desire to
learn a new process (motivation). NOTE: This
subdivision of Psychomotor is closely related with
the "Responding to phenomena" subdivision of the
Affective domain.
Key Words: begins, displays, explains, moves,
proceeds, reacts, shows, states, volunteers.

Guided Response: The

early stages in learning a
complex skill that includes
imitation and trial and error.

Examples: Performs a mathematical equation as

demonstrated. Follows instructions to build a
model. Responds hand-signals of instructor while
learning to operate a forklift.

Adequacy of performance is

Key Words: copies, traces, follows, react,

achieved by practicing.

reproduce, responds

Mechanism: This is the

intermediate stage in

Examples: Use a personal computer. Repair a

leaking faucet. Drive a car.

learning a complex

Key Words: assembles, calibrates, constructs,

skill. Learned responses

dismantles, displays, fastens, fixes, grinds, heats,

have become habitual and

manipulates, measures, mends, mixes, organizes,

the movements can be

sketches.

performed with some

confidence and proficiency.

Complex Overt Response:

The skillful performance of

Examples: Maneuvers a car into a tight parallel

parking spot. Operates a computer quickly and
accurately. Displays competence while playing the

motor acts that involve

piano.

complex movement

Key Words: assembles, builds, calibrates,

patterns. Proficiency is

constructs, dismantles, displays, fastens, fixes,

indicated by a quick,

grinds, heats, manipulates, measures, mends,

accurate, and highly

mixes, organizes, sketches.

coordinated performance,
requiring a minimum of
energy. This category
includes performing without
hesitation, and automatic

NOTE: The Key Words are the same as

Mechanism, but will have adverbs or adjectives
that indicate that the performance is quicker, better,
more accurate, etc.

performance. For example,

players are often utter
sounds of satisfaction or
expletives as soon as they
hit a tennis ball or throw a
football, because they can
tell by the feel of the act
what the result will produce.

Adaptation: Skills are well

developed and the individual
can modify movement
patterns to fit special
requirements.

Examples: Responds effectively to unexpected

experiences. Modifies instruction to meet the
needs of the learners. Perform a task with a
machine that it was not originally intended to do
(machine is not damaged and there is no danger in
performing the new task).
Key Words: adapts, alters, changes, rearranges,
reorganizes, revises, varies.

Origination: Creating new

movement patterns to fit a
particular situation or
specific problem. Learning

Examples: Constructs a new theory. Develops a

new and comprehensive training programming.
Creates a new gymnastic routine.
Key Words: arranges, builds, combines,

outcomes emphasize

composes, constructs, creates, designs, initiate,

creativity based upon highly

makes, originates.

developed skills.

Other Psychomotor Domains

As mentioned earlier, the committee did not produce a compilation for the
psychomotor domain model, but others have. The one discussed above is by
Simpson (1972). There are two other popular versions:
Dave's:(4)
Imitation: Observing and patterning behavior after someone else.

Performance may be of low quality. Example: Copying a work of art.

Manipulation: Being able to perform certain actions by following instructions

and practicing. Example: Creating work on one's own, after taking lessons, or
reading about it.
Precision: Refining, becoming more exact. Few errors are apparent.

Example: Working and reworking something, so it will be "just right."

Articulation: Coordinating a series of actions, achieving harmony and internal

consistency. Example: Producing a video that involves music, drama, color, sound,
etc.
o

Naturalization: Having high level performance become natural, without

needing to think much about it. Examples: Michael Jordan playing basketball,
Nancy Lopez hitting a golf ball, etc.
Harrow's:(5)

Reflex movements - Reactions that are not learned.

Fundamental movements - Basic movements such as walking, or grasping.

Perception - Response to stimuli such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or

tactile discrimination.
Physical abilities - Stamina that must be developed for further development

such as strength and agility.

Skilled movements - Advanced learned movements as one would find in

sports or acting.
No discursive communication - Effective body language, such as gestures

and facial expressions.

Reference
1. Bloom B. S. (1956). Ta x o n o m y o f E d u c a t i o n a l O b j e c t i v e s ,
H a n d b o o k I : T h e C o g n i t i v e D o m a i n . New York: David McKay Co Inc.
2.Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S., & Masia, B. B. (1973). Ta x o n o m y o f
Educational Objectives, the Classification of Educational
G o a l s . H a n d b o o k I I : A f f e c t i v e D o m a i n . New York: David McKay Co.,
Inc.
3. Simpson E. J. (1972). T h e C l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f E d u c a t i o n a l
O b j e c t i v e s i n t h e P s y c h o m o t o r D o m a i n . Washington, DC: Gryphon
House.
4. Dave, R. H. (1975). D e v e l o p i n g a n d W r i t i n g B e h a v i o u r a l
O b j e c t i v e s . (R J Armstrong, ed.) Educational Innovators Press.
5. Harrow, Anita (1972) A t a x o n o m y o f p s y c h o m o t o r d o m a i n : a
g u i d e f o r d e v e l o p i n g b e h a v i o r a l o b j e c t i v e s . New York: David
McKay.