Behavioral Domains & Hierarchies of Learning: Prepared By: Mae Michelle F. Aguilar, RN NRSG-215A

Behavioral Domains & Hierarchies of Learning
Prepared by: Mae Michelle F. Aguilar, RN

NRSG-215A
• Nursing Education is still deeply embedded in
the behaviorist model of teaching and
learning.
• Behavioral Objectives – describe observable

changes in learner behavior that reflex
progress toward or achievement of goals
established for the course or curriculum.
DOMAINS OF LEARNING
1. COGNITIVE (Intellect)
2. PSYCHOMOTOR (Performance)
3. AFFECTIVE(Attitude)
• Behavioral Objectives are reductionist in
nature and fail to capture the complexity of
applied knowledge necessary to succeed in
clinical nursing education.
• Least relevant in the clinical setting.

COGNITIVE DOMAIN
• Concerns intellectual operations based on
acquired knowledge of facts and theories.
• The most well developed of the three

behavioral domains and most commonly
encountered in nursing education.
• Bloom’s Taxonomy- guide to teaching and
evaluation.
• Revised version by Anderson et. Al. (2001)

suggest four types of knowledge can be
developed to each of the six levels of cognitive
process.
Four Types of Knowledge
1. Factual – Disconnected information.
2. Conceptual – Involves development of

connections in information to grasp content.
3. Procedural – Concerns using conceptual

knowledge to make decisions while
performing tasks.
4. Megacognitive – Thinking about one’s
thought process as well as the general process
thinking.
Descriptions and Characteristics Behaviors of the
Hierarchical Categories in the Cognitive Domain
1. KNOWLEDGE – defined as remembering of

previously learned material. Involves recall of a wide
range of material. The Lowest level of learning
outcomes in the cognitive domain.
CHARACTERISTIC BEHAVIORS
• Knowledge of Specifics, Terminology, Specific Facts, Ways and

Means of dealing with specifics, conventions, trends and
sequences, classifications and categories, criteria, methods,
universal and abstractions in the field, principles and
generalizations and theories and structures.
2. COMPREHENSION – The ability to grasp the meaning

of material. Shown by translating material from one
form to the other, interpreting material and estimating
future trends. The lowest level of understanding.
CHARACTERISTIC BEHAVIOR:
Translation, Interpretation and Extrapolation.

3. APPLICATION – the ability to use learned material in

new and concrete situations. Includes application of
rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws and theories.
4. ANALYSIS – The ability to breakdown material into its

component parts so that its organizational structure
may be understood.
-Learning represents a higher intellectual level than

comprehension and application.
Analysis of Elements, relationships and organizational principles.

5. SYNTHESIS - The ability to put parts together to form

a new whole.
-Learning outcomes in this area stresses creative

behaviors, with major emphasis on the formulations of
new patterns and structure.
Production of unique communication, plan or proposed set of

operations, and a set of abstracts relations.
Descriptions and Characteristics Behaviors of the Hierarchical
Categories in the Cognitive Domain
6. EVALUATION – the ability to judge the value of

material for a given purpose. The judgments are based
on a definite criteria.
•Internal Criteria (Organization)
•External Criteria (Relevance to the purpose)
-Learning outcomes are the highest because they

contain elements of all the other categories, plus
conscious value judgments based on criteria.
Judgments in terms of internal and external criteria.
PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN
• Concerns skills involving neuromuscular
activities and physical manipulations.
• Mastery requires practice.

Categories in the Psychomotor Domain
1. PERCEPTION – Concerned with the use of sense

organs to obtain cues that guide motor activity
Awareness of the stimulus

Selection of task-relevant cues
Translation of cue perception to action in a performance.
2. SET – refers to the readiness to take a particular type

of action. Perception is an important prerequisite in
this level.
Mental readiness to act

Physical readiness to act
Willingness to act
3. GUIDED RESPONSE – Concerned with the early

stages in learning a complex skill. Adequacy of
performance is judged by an instructor or by a suitable
set of criteria.
Imitation of Instructor’s demonstration

Continuous referral to model performance
Trial and Error
Categories in the Cognitive Domain
4. MECHANISIM – concerned with performance acts

where the learned response have become habitual
and the movements can be performed with some
confidence and proficiency.
5. COMPLEX OVERT RESPONSE – the skillful

performance of motor acts that involve complex
movement patterns.
-Learning outcomes include highly coordinated motor
activities.
Performance without hesitation
Movements exhibit ease and good muscle control
Coordinated, fluid, timely and automatic movements.
6. ADAPTATION – Individual can modify movement

patterns to fit special requirements or to meet a
problem situation.
7.ORIGINATION – creating of new movement patterns

to fit a particular situation or specific problem.
AFFECTIVE DOMAIN
• Concerns emotional responses to phenomena.
• Incorporates awareness of feelings generated

to phenomena as well as value judgments
about phenomena.
• It is complex, ill defined and difficult to

measure.
• Attitude – disposition towards or against a
phenomenon that leads to an inclination to
behave in ways reflecting the attitude.
• Appreciation- involves enjoyment of and

experiencing pleasure in relation to
phenomenon.
• Valuing – evaluation of phenomenon as having

worth, utility and importance.
Categories in the Affective Domain
1. RECEIVING – Student’s willingness to attend to

particular phenomenon or stimuli.
-from a teaching standpoint it is concerned with
getting, holding, and directing student’s attention.
-the lowest level of learning outcomes in the affective
domain.
Awareness
Willingness to receive
Controlled or selected attention
2. RESPONDING – Refers to active participation on the

part of the student.
-Higher levels of this category include those

instructional objectives that are commonly classified
under interests.
Acquiescence in responding
Willingness to respond
Satisfaction in response
3. VALUING – Concerned with the worth or value a student

attaches to a particular object, phenomenon, or behavior.
-Ranges in degree from the more simple acceptance to the more

complex level of commitment.
-Instructional objectives that are commonly classified under

“attitudes” and “appreciation”
CHARACTERISTIC BEHAVIORS:
Acceptance of value
Preference for a value
Commitment
4. ORGANIZATION –concerned with bringing together

different values, resolving conflicts between them, and
beginning the building of an internally consistent value
system.
-Instructional objectives relating to the development of

a philosophy of life fall into this category.
Conceptualization of Value
Organization of Value
5. CHARACTERIZATION by a VALUE or VALUE COMPLEX

– at this level the individual has a value system that has
controlled his or her behavior fir a sufficiently long time
for him or her to have developed a characteristic
“lifestyle”
-Instructional objectives concerned with general

patters of adjustment.
Generalized set
Characterization

Behavioral Domains & Hierarchies of Learning: Prepared By: Mae Michelle F. Aguilar, RN NRSG-215A

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Behavioral Domains & Hierarchies of Learning

Prepared by: Mae Michelle F. Aguilar, RN

• Behavioral Objectives – describe observable

• Least relevant in the clinical setting.

• The most well developed of the three

• Revised version by Anderson et. Al. (2001)

2. Conceptual – Involves development of

3. Procedural – Concerns using conceptual

1. KNOWLEDGE – defined as remembering of

• Knowledge of Specifics, Terminology, Specific Facts, Ways and

2. COMPREHENSION – The ability to grasp the meaning

Translation, Interpretation and Extrapolation.

3. APPLICATION – the ability to use learned material in

4. ANALYSIS – The ability to breakdown material into its

-Learning represents a higher intellectual level than

Analysis of Elements, relationships and organizational principles.

5. SYNTHESIS - The ability to put parts together to form

-Learning outcomes in this area stresses creative

Production of unique communication, plan or proposed set of

6. EVALUATION – the ability to judge the value of

-Learning outcomes are the highest because they

• Mastery requires practice.

1. PERCEPTION – Concerned with the use of sense

Awareness of the stimulus

2. SET – refers to the readiness to take a particular type

Mental readiness to act

3. GUIDED RESPONSE – Concerned with the early

Imitation of Instructor’s demonstration

4. MECHANISIM – concerned with performance acts

5. COMPLEX OVERT RESPONSE – the skillful

6. ADAPTATION – Individual can modify movement

7.ORIGINATION – creating of new movement patterns

• Incorporates awareness of feelings generated

• It is complex, ill defined and difficult to

• Appreciation- involves enjoyment of and

• Valuing – evaluation of phenomenon as having

1. RECEIVING – Student’s willingness to attend to

2. RESPONDING – Refers to active participation on the

-Higher levels of this category include those

3. VALUING – Concerned with the worth or value a student

-Ranges in degree from the more simple acceptance to the more

-Instructional objectives that are commonly classified under

4. ORGANIZATION –concerned with bringing together

-Instructional objectives relating to the development of

5. CHARACTERIZATION by a VALUE or VALUE COMPLEX

-Instructional objectives concerned with general

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