Psychomotor Domain Taxonomy of Simpson, Dave and Harrow

This domain is characterized by progressive levels of behaviours from observation to mastery of a physical skill. Several different taxonomies exist.
1. Simpson’s taxonomy (1972)
. Perception - Sensory cues guide motor activity.
. Set - Mental, physical, and emotional dispositions that make one respond in a certain way to a situation.
. Guided Response - First attempts at a physical skill. Trial and error coupled with practice lead to better performance.
. Mechanism - The intermediate stage in learning a physical skill. Responses are habitual with a medium level of assurance and proficiency.
. Complex Overt Response - Complex movements are possible with a minimum of wasted effort and a high level of assurance they will be successful.
. Adaptation - Movements can be modified for special situations.
. Origination - New movements can be created for special situations.
Simpson, E. (1972). The classification of educational objectives in the psychomotor domain: The psychomotor domain. Vol. 3. Washington, DC: Gryphon House.
2. Dave’s taxonomy (1970)
. Imitation - Observing and copying someone else.
. Manipulation - Guided via instruction to perform a skill.
. Precision - Accuracy, proportion and exactness exist in the skill performance without the presence of the original source.
. Articulation - Two or more skills combined, sequenced, and performed consistently.
. Naturalization - Two or more skills combined, sequenced, and performed consistently and with ease. The performance is automatic with little physical or mental exertion.
Based upon R. H. Dave, as reported in R. J. Armstrong et al., Developing and Writing Behavioral Objectives (Tucson, AZ: Educational Innovators Press, 1970).
3. Harrow’s taxonomy (1972)
. Reflex movements - Automatic reactions.
. Basic fundamental movement - Simple movements that can build to more complex sets of movements.
. Perceptual - Environmental cues that allow one to adjust movements.
. Physical activities - Things requiring endurance, strength, vigor, and agility.
. Skilled movements - Activities where a level of efficiency is achieved.
. Non-discursive communication - Body language.
Harrow, A.J. (1972). A taxonomy of the psychomotor domain. New York: David McKay Co

Bloom & Krathwohl’s taxonomy for the affective domain

Skills in the affective domain describe the way people react emotionally and their ability to feel another living thing's pain or joy. Affective objectives typically target the awareness and growth in attitudes, emotion, and feelings.
There are five levels in the affective domain moving through the lowest order processes to the highest:
1. Receiving
The lowest level; the student passively pays attention. Without this level no learning can occur. Receiving is about the student's memory and recognition as well.
2. Responding
The student actively participates in the learning process, not only attends to a stimulus; the student also reacts in some way.
3. Valuing
The student attaches a value to an object, phenomenon, or piece of information.
4. Organizing
The student can put together different values, information, and ideas and accommodate them within his/her own schema; comparing, relating and elaborating on what has been learned.
5. Characterizing
The student holds a particular value or belief that now exerts influence on his/her behaviour so that it becomes a characteristic.

Bloom’s taxonomy for the Cognitive domain

Skills in the cognitive domain revolve around knowledge, comprehension, and critical thinking on a particular topic. Traditional education tends to emphasize the skills in this domain, particularly the lower-order objectives.
There are six levels in the taxonomy, moving through the lowest order processes to the highest:
1. Knowledge
Exhibit memory of previously learned materials by recalling facts, terms, basic concepts and answers  . Knowledge of specifics - terminology, specific facts
. Knowledge of ways and means of dealing with specifics - conventions, trends and sequences, classifications and categories, criteria, methodology
. Knowledge of the universals and abstractions in a field - principles and generalizations, theories and structures
Questions like: What are the health benefits of eating apples
2. Comprehension
Demonstrate understanding of facts and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, giving descriptions, and stating the main ideas
. Translation
. Interpretation
. Extrapolation
Questions like: Compare the health benefits of eating apples vs. oranges.
3. Application
Using new knowledge. Solve problems in new situations by applying acquired knowledge, facts, techniques and rules in a different way
Questions like: Which kinds of apples are best for baking a pie, and why?
4. Analysis
Examine and break information into parts by identifying motives or causes. Make inferences and find evidence to support generalizations
. Analysis of elements
. Analysis of relationships
. Analysis of organizational principles
Questions like: List four ways of serving foods made with apples and explain which ones have the highest health benefits. Provide references to support your statements.
5. Synthesis
Compile information together in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions
. Production of a unique communication
. Production of a plan, or proposed set of operations
. Derivation of a set of abstract relations
Questions like: Convert an "unhealthy" recipe for apple pie to a "healthy" recipe by replacing your choice of ingredients. Explain the health benefits of using the ingredients you chose vs. the original ones.
6. Evaluation
Present and defend opinions by making judgments about information, validity of ideas or quality of work based on a set of criteria
. Judgments in terms of internal evidence
. Judgments in terms of external criteria
Questions like: Do you feel that serving apple pie for an after school snack for children is healthy?

Anderson's Taxonomy for the cognitive domain

1. Remembering
Retrieving, recalling or recognizing knowledge from memory. Remembering is when memory is used to produce definitions, facts or lists or recite or retrieve material.
2. Understanding
Constructing meaning from different types of functions be they written or graphic messages activities like interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing and explaining.
3. Applying
Carrying out or using a procedure through executing or implementing. Applying related and refers to situations where learned material is used through products like models, presentations, interviews or simulations.
4. Analyzing
Breaking material or concepts into parts, determining how the parts relate or interrelate to one another or to an overall structure or purpose. Mental actions included in this function are differentiating, organizing and attributing as well as being able to distinguish between the components or parts. When one is analyzing he or she can illustrate this mental function by creating spreadsheets, surveys, charts or diagrams or graphic representations.
5. Evaluating
Making judgements based on criteria and standards through checking and critiquing. Critiques, recommendations and reports are some of the products that can be created to demonstrate the processes of evaluation. In the newer taxonomy evaluation comes before creating as it is often a necessary part of the precursory behavior before creating something.
6. Creating
Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure through generating, planning or producing. Creating requires users to put parts together in a new way or synthesize parts into something new and different a new form or product. This process is the most difficult mental function in the new taxonomy.

Bloom's taxonomy for the cognitive domain                                 Anderson's taxonomy for the cognitive domain