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Contents

o Cognitive Domain
o Affective Domain
o Psychomotor Domain
o Bloom's Revised Taxonomy
o Next Steps
o Reference

Related Resources

Instructional Design Toolkit

ISD Concept Map

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Bloom's Taxonomy of

Learning Domains
The Three Types of Learning
There is more than one type of learning. A committee of colleges, led by Benjamin Bloom (1956), identified three
domains of educational activities:

o Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge)

o Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude)
o Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills)

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 categories as KSA (Knowledge, Skills,
and Attitude). This taxonomy of learning behaviors can be thought of as “the goals of the learning process.” That is,
after a learning episode, 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

The cognitive domain (Bloom, 1956) 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.

Example and Key Words

Category
(verbs)
Examples: Recite a policy. Quote prices from
memory to a customer. Knows the safety rules.

Knowledge: Recall data or information.

Key Words: defines, describes, identifies, knows,
labels, lists, matches, names, outlines, recalls,
recognizes, reproduces, selects, states.
 Examples: Rewrites the principles of test writing.
Explain in one's own words the steps for performing a
complex task. Translates an equation into a computer
Comprehension: Understand the
spreadsheet.
meaning, translation, interpolation, and
interpretation of instructions and
Key Words: comprehends, converts, defends,
problems. State a problem in one's own
distinguishes, estimates, explains, extends,
words.
generalizes, gives an example, infers, interprets,
paraphrases, predicts, rewrites, summarizes,
translates.

Examples: Use a manual to calculate an employee's

vacation time. Apply laws of statistics to evaluate the
Application: Use a concept in a new
reliability of a written test.
situation or unprompted use of an
abstraction. Applies what was learned in
Key Words: applies, changes, computes, constructs,
the classroom into novel situations in the
demonstrates, discovers, manipulates, modifies,
work place.
operates, predicts, prepares, produces, relates,
shows, solves, uses.

Examples: Troubleshoot a piece of equipment by

using logical deduction. Recognize logical fallacies in
Analysis: Separates material or concepts reasoning. Gathers information from a department
into component parts so that its and selects the required tasks for training.
organizational structure may be
understood. Distinguishes between facts Key Words: analyzes, breaks down, compares,
and inferences. contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates,
discriminates, distinguishes, identifies, illustrates,
infers, outlines, relates, selects, separates.

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
Synthesis: Builds a structure or pattern
outcome.
from diverse elements. Put parts together
to form a whole, with emphasis on
Key Words: categorizes, combines, compiles,
creating a new meaning or structure.
composes, creates, devises, designs, explains,
generates, modifies, organizes, plans, rearranges,
reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises, rewrites,
summarizes, tells, writes.

Evaluation: Make judgments about the Examples: Select the most effective solution. Hire the
value of ideas or materials. 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

The affective domain (Krathwohl, Bloom, Masia, 1973) 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:

Example and Key Words

Category
(verbs)
Examples: Listen to others with respect. Listen for
and remember the name of newly introduced
people.
Receiving Phenomena: Awareness,
willingness to hear, selected attention.
Key Words: asks, chooses, describes, follows,
gives, holds, identifies, locates, names, points to,
selects, sits, erects, replies, uses.
 Examples: Participates in class discussions. Gives
Responding to Phenomena: Active a presentation. Questions new ideals, concepts,
participation on the part of the models, etc. in order to fully understand them. Know
learners. Attends and reacts to a particular the safety rules and practices them.
phenomenon. Learning outcomes may
emphasize compliance in responding, Key Words: answers, assists, aids, complies,
willingness to respond, or satisfaction in conforms, discusses, greets, helps, labels, performs,
responding (motivation). practices, presents, reads, recites, reports, selects,
tells, writes.

Examples: Demonstrates belief in the democratic

process. Is sensitive towards individual and cultural
Valuing: The worth or value a person
differences (value diversity). Shows the ability to
attaches to a particular object,
solve problems. Proposes a plan to social
phenomenon, or behavior. This ranges from
improvement and follows through with commitment.
simple acceptance to the more complex
Informs management on matters that one feels
state of commitment. Valuing is based on
strongly about.
the internalization of a set of specified
values, while clues to these values are
Key Words: completes, demonstrates,
expressed in the learner's overt behavior
differentiates, explains, follows, forms, initiates,
and are often identifiable.
invites, joins, justifies, proposes, reads, reports,
selects, shares, studies, works.

Examples: Recognizes the need for balance

between freedom and responsible behavior. Accepts
responsibility for one's behavior. Explains the role of
systematic planning in solving problems. Accepts
Organization: Organizes values into professional ethical standards. Creates a life plan in
priorities by contrasting different values, harmony with abilities, interests, and beliefs.
resolving conflicts between them, and Prioritizes time effectively to meet the needs of the
creating an unique value system. The organization, family, and self.
emphasis is on comparing, relating, and
synthesizing values. Key Words: adheres, alters, arranges, combines,
compares, completes, defends, explains,
formulates, generalizes, identifies, integrates,
modifies, orders, organizes, prepares, relates,
synthesizes.

Internalizing values (characterization): Has Examples: Shows self-reliance when working

a value system that controls their independently. Cooperates in group
behavior. The behavior is pervasive, activities (displays teamwork). Uses an objective
consistent, predictable, and most approach in problem solving. Displays a
importantly, characteristic of the professional commitment to ethical practice on a
learner. Instructional objectives are daily basis. Revises judgments and changes
concerned with the student's general behavior in light of new evidence. Values people for
 patterns of adjustment (personal, social, what they are, not how they look.
emotional).
Key Words: acts, discriminates, displays,
influences, listens, modifies, performs, practices,
proposes, qualifies, questions, revises, serves,
solves, verifies.

Psychomotor Domain

The psychomotor domain (Simpson, 1972) 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:

Example and Key Words

Category
(verbs)
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.
Perception: The ability to use sensory cues to
Adjusts the height of the forks on a forklift by
guide motor activity. This ranges from sensory
comparing where the forks are in relation to the
stimulation, through cue selection, to translation.
pallet.

Key Words: chooses, describes, detects,

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

Set: Readiness to act. It includes mental, Examples: Knows and acts upon a sequence
physical, and emotional sets. These three sets of steps in a manufacturing process.
are dispositions that predetermine a person's Recognize one's abilities and limitations.
response to different situations (sometimes called Shows desire to learn a new process
mindsets). (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.

Examples: Performs a mathematical equation

as demonstrated. Follows instructions to build
Guided Response: The early stages in learning
a model. Responds hand-signals of instructor
a complex skill that includes imitation and trial
while learning to operate a forklift.
and error. Adequacy of performance is achieved
by practicing.
Key Words: copies, traces, follows, react,
reproduce, responds

Examples: Use a personal computer. Repair

a leaking faucet. Drive a car.
Mechanism: This is the intermediate stage in
learning a complex skill. Learned responses have
Key Words: assembles, calibrates, constructs,
become habitual and the movements can be
dismantles, displays, fastens, fixes, grinds,
performed with some confidence and proficiency.
heats, manipulates, measures, mends, mixes,
organizes, sketches.

Examples: Maneuvers a car into a tight

Complex Overt Response: The skillful parallel parking spot. Operates a computer
performance of motor acts that involve complex quickly and accurately. Displays competence
movement patterns. Proficiency is indicated by a while playing the piano.
quick, accurate, and highly coordinated
performance, requiring a minimum of Key Words: assembles, builds, calibrates,
energy. This category includes performing constructs, dismantles, displays, fastens, fixes,
without hesitation, and automatic grinds, heats, manipulates, measures, mends,
performance. For example, players are often mixes, organizes, sketches.
utter sounds of satisfaction or expletives as soon
as they hit a tennis ball or throw a football, NOTE: The Key Words are the same as
because they can tell by the feel of the act what Mechanism, but will have adverbs or adjectives
the result will produce. that indicate that the performance is quicker,
better, more accurate, etc.

Examples: Responds effectively to

Adaptation: Skills are well developed and the unexpected experiences. Modifies instruction
individual can modify movement patterns to fit to meet the needs of the learners. Perform a
special requirements. 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.

Examples: Constructs a new theory.

Develops a new and comprehensive training
Origination: Creating new movement patterns to programming. Creates a new gymnastic
fit a particular situation or specific problem. routine.
Learning outcomes emphasize creativity based
upon highly developed skills. Key Words: arranges, builds, combines,
composes, constructs, creates, designs,
initiate, makes, originates.

Other Psychomotor Domain

Taxonomies

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 (1975):

o Imitation — Observing and patterning behavior after someone else. Performance may be of
low quality. Example: Copying a work of art.
o 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.
o Precision — Refining, becoming more exact. Few errors are apparent. Example: Working and
reworking something, so it will be “just right.”
o 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 (1972):

o Reflex movements — Reactions that are not learned.

o Fundamental movements — Basic movements such as walking, or grasping.
o Perception — Response to stimuli such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or tactile discrimination.
o Physical abilities — Stamina that must be developed for further development such as strength
and agility.
o Skilled movements — Advanced learned movements as one would find in sports or acting.
o No discursive communication — Effective body language, such as gestures and facial
expressions.

Bloom's Revised Taxonomy

Lorin Anderson, a former student of Bloom, revisited the cognitive domain in the learning taxonomy in the mid-
nineties and made some changes, with perhaps the two most prominent ones being, 1) changing the names in the
six categories from noun to verb forms, and 2) slightly rearranging them (Pohl, 2000).

This new taxonomy reflects a more active form of thinking and is perhaps more accurate:

The six steps of Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating uses the same
key words or verbs as shown in the table in the Cognitive Domain section.

Next Steps

Learning Strategies using Bloom's Taxonomy

Instructional Design Toolkit

Reference
Bloom B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: David
McKay Co Inc.

Dave, R. H. (1975). Developing and Writing Behavioral Objectives. (R. J. Armstrong, ed.). Tucson, Arizona:
Educational Innovators Press.

Harrow, A. (1972) A Taxonomy of Psychomotor Domain: A Guide for Developing Behavioral Objectives. New York:
David McKay.

Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S., & Masia, B. B. (1973). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the Classification of
Educational Goals. Handbook II: Affective Domain. New York: David McKay Co., Inc.

Pohl, M. (2000). Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn: Models and Strategies to Develop a Classroom Culture of
Thinking. Cheltenham, Vic.: Hawker Brownlow.

Simpson E. J. (1972). The Classification of Educational Objectives in the Psychomotor Domain. Washington, DC:
Gryphon House.

Notes
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Updated July 5, 2010. Created June 5, 1999.

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