Psychomotor Domain

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 listed the simplest behavior to the most complex:

Perception

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

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

Key Words: Describe, choose, differentiate, detect, identify, distinguish, isolate, relate, select.

 

Set

Readiness to act. It includes mental, physical, and emotional sets. These three sets are dispositions that predetermine a person’s response to different situations (sometimes called mindsets).

Examples: Recognize one’s abilities and limitations. Knows and acts upon a sequence of steps in a manufacturing process. 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: Display, begin, move, explain, react, proceed, volunteer, show, state.

 

Guided Response

The early stages in learning a complex skill that includes imitation and trial and error. Adequacy of performance is achieved by practicing.

 

Examples: Follows instructions to build a model. Performs a mathematical equation as demonstrated. Responds hand signals of instructor while learning to operate a forklift.

Key Words: Trace, copy, react, follow, respond, reproduce.

 

Mechanism

This is the intermediate stage in learning a complex skill. Learned responses have become habitual and the movements can be performed with some confidence and proficiency.

Examples: Repair a leaking faucet. Use a personal computer. Drive a car.

Key Words: Calibrate, assemble, dismantle, construct, fasten, display, grind, fix, manipulate, heat, mend, measure, organize, mix, sketch.

 

Complex Overt Response

The skillful performance of motor acts that involve complex movement patterns. Proficiency is indicated by a quick, accurate, and highly coordinated performance, requiring a minimum of energy. This category includes performing without hesitation, and automatic performance.

Examples: Maneuver a car into a tight parallel parking spot. Operate a computer quickly and accurately. Display competence while playing the piano.

Key Words: Build, assemble, construct, calibrate, display, dismantle, fixe, fasten, heat, grind, measure, manipulate, mix, mend, sketch, organize.

 

Origination

Creating new movement patterns to fit a particular situation or specific problem. Learning outcomes emphasize creativity based upon highly developed skills.

Examples: Construct a new theory. Create a new gymnastic routine. Develop a new and comprehensive training programming.

Key Words: Build, arrange, compose, combine, create, construct, initiate, design, make, originate.

 

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):

 

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.

 

Imitation: Observing and patterning behavior after someone else. Performance

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

 

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

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

sound, etc.

 

Precision: Refining, becoming more exact. Few errors are apparent. Example:

Working and reworking something, so it will be “just right.”

 

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.

Cognitive Domain

Example and Key Words

Knowledge:

Recall data or information.

Examples: Recite a policy. Quote prices from memory to a customer. Know the safety rules.

Key Words: Describe, define, know, identify, list, label, name, match, recall, outline, recognize, select, reproduce, state.

 

Comprehension:

Understand the interpolation, meaning, and interpretation of instructions and problems. State a problem in one’s own words.

Examples: Explain in one’s own words the steps for performing a complex task. Rewrite the principles of test writing. Translate an equation into a computer spreadsheet.

Key Words: Comprehend, defend, convert, estimate, distinguish, explain, generalize, give examples, extend, infer, paraphrase, interpret, predict, summarize, rewrite, translate.

 

Application:

Use a concept in a new situation or unprompted use of an abstraction. Applies what was learned in the classroom into novel situations in the work place.

Examples: Apply laws of statistics to evaluate the reliability of a written test. Use a manual to calculate an employee’s vacation time.

Key Words: Change, apply, construct, compute, discover, demonstrate, modify, manipulate, predict, operate, produce, prepare, show, relate, use, solve.

 

Analysis:

Separates material or concepts into component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood. Distinguish between facts and inferences.

Examples: Troubleshoot a piece of equipment by using logical deduction. Gathers information from a department and selects the required tasks for training. Recognize logical fallacies in reasoning.

Key Words: Break down, analyze, contrast, compare, deconstruct, diagram, discriminate, differentiate, identify, distinguish, infer, illustrate, relate, outline, separate, select.

 

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. Integrates training from several sources to solve a problem. Design a machine to perform a specific task. Revises and process to improve the outcome.

Key Words: combine, categorize, compose, compile, devise, create, explain, design, modify, plan, organize, reconstruct, rearrange, reorganize, relate, rewrite, revise, tell, summarize, write.

 

Evaluation:

Make judgments about the value of ideas or materials.

Examples: Select the most effective solution. Explain and justify a new budget. Hire the most qualified candidate.

Key Words: compare, appraise, contrast, conclude, critique, criticize, describe, defend, evaluate, explain, discriminate, justify, interpret, summarize, relate, support.

Affective Domain

Examples 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: choose, ask, follow, describe, hold, give, locate, identify, point to, name, sit, select, reply, erect, use.

 

Responding to Phenomena:

Active participation on the part of the learners. Attends and reacts to a particular phenomenon. Learning outcomes may emphasize compliance in responding, willingness to respond, or satisfaction in responding (motivation).

Examples: Give a presentation. Participate in class discussions. Know the safety rules and practices them. Question new ideals, models, concepts, etc. in order to fully understand them.

Key Words: assist, answer, comply, aid, discuss, conform, help, greet, perform, label, present, practice, recite, read, select, report, write, tell.

 

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 commitment. Valuing is based on the internalization of a set of specified values, while clues to these values are expressed in the learner’s overt behavior and are often identifiable.

Examples: Demonstrate belief in the democratic process. Show the ability to solve problems. Is sensitive towards individual and cultural differences (value diversity). Inform management on matters that one feels strongly about. Propose a plan to social improvement and follow through with commitment.

Key Words: demonstrate, complete, explain, differentiate, form, follow, invite, initiate, justify, join, read, propose, select, report, study, share, work.

 

Organization:

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

Examples: Accept responsibility for one’s behavior. Recognize the need for balance between freedom and responsible behavior. Accept professional ethical standards. Explain the role of systematic planning in solving problems. Prioritize time effectively to meet the needs of the organization, family, and self. Create a life plan in harmony with abilities, interests, and beliefs.

Key Words: alter, adhere, combine, arrange, complete, compare, explain, defend, generalize, formulate, integrate, identify, order, modify, prepare, organize, synthesize, relate.

 

Internalizing values (characterization):

Has avalue system that controlstheir behavior. The behavioris pervasive, consistent,predictable, and mostimportantly, characteristicof the learner. Instructionalobjectives are concernedwith the student’s generalpatterns of adjustment(personal, social, emotional).

Examples: Cooperate in group activities (displays teamwork). Show self-reliance when working independently. Display a professional commitment to ethical practice on a daily basis. Use an objective approach in problem solving. Value people for what they are, not how they look. Revise judgments and changes behavior in light of new evidence.

Key Words: discriminate, act, influence, display, modify, listen, practice, perform, qualify, propose, revise, question, solve, serve, verify.