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B l o o m ' s Ta xo n o my :
The 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. Thus, psychomotor
skills rage from manual tasks, such as digging
a ditch or washing a car, to more complex
tasks, such as operating a complex piece of
machinery or dancing.

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
Perception location to catch the
(awareness): The ball. Adjusts heat of
ability to use stove to correct
sensory cues to temperature by smell
guide motor and taste of food.
activity. This Adjusts the height of
ranges from sensory the forks on a forklift
stimulation, through by comparing where
cue selection, to the forks are in relation
translation. to the pallet.

Key Words: chooses,

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

Set: Readiness to Examples: Knows and

act. It includes acts upon a sequence
mental, physical, of steps in a
and emotional sets. manufacturing
These three sets process. Recognize
are dispositions that one's abilities and
predetermine a limitations. Shows
person's response desire to learn a new
 process (motivation).
NOTE: This
subdivision of
Psychomotor is closely
related with the
“Responding to
to different
phenomena”
situations
subdivision of the
(sometimes called
mindsets). Affective domain.

Key Words: begins,

displays, explains,
moves, proceeds,
reacts, shows, states,
volunteers.

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

Mechanism (basic Examples: Use a

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

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

Adaptation: Skills Examples: Responds

are well developed effectively to
and the individual unexpected
can modify experiences. Modifies
movement patterns instruction to meet the
to fit special 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
requirements.
task).

Key Words: adapts,

alters, changes,
rearranges,
reorganizes, revises,
varies.

Examples: Constructs
a new theory.
Origination: Develops a new and
Creating new comprehensive training
movement patterns programming. Creates
to fit a particular a new gymnastic
situation or specific routine.
problem. Learning
outcomes Key Words: arranges,
emphasize creativity builds, combines,
based upon highly composes, constructs,
developed skills. creates, designs,
initiate, makes,
originates.
Other Psychomotor Domain
Ta x o n o m i e s
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 by Dave (1970)
and Harrow (1972):

Dave (1975):

Example and Key Words

Category
(verbs)

Imitation — Examples: Copying a

Observing and work of art. Performing a
patterning skill while observing a
behavior after demonstrator.
someone else.
Performance Key Words: copy, follow,
may be of low mimic, repeat, replicate,
quality. reproduce, trace

Examples: Being able to

Manipulation perform a skill on one's
— Being able to own after taking lessons
perform certain or reading about it.
actions by Follows instructions to
memory or build a model.
following
instructions. Key Words: act, build,
execute, perform

Precision — Examples: Working and

Refining, reworking something, so
becoming more it will be “just right.”
exact. Perform a skill or task
Performing a without assistance.
 Demonstrate a task to a
skill within a beginner.
high degree of
Key Words: calibrate,
precision demonstrate, master,
perfectionism

Examples: Combining a
series of skills to produce
Articulation — a video that involves
music, drama, color,
Coordinating
sound, etc. Combining a
and adapting a
series of skills or
series of actions
activities to meet a novel
to achieve
requirement.
harmony and
internal Key Words: adapt,
consistency.
constructs, combine,
creates, customize,
modifies, formulate

Examples: Maneuvers a
car into a tight parallel
Naturalization parking spot. Operates a
— Mastering a computer quickly and
high level accurately. Displays
performance competence while playing
until it become the piano. Michael Jordan
second-nature playing basketball or
or natural, Nancy Lopez hitting a
without needing golf ball.
to think much
about it. Key Words: create,
design, develop, invent,
manage, naturally

Harrow (1972):

Category Example and Key Words

 (verbs)

Reflex
Examples: instinctive
Movements —
response
Reactions that are
not learned, such
Key Words: react,
as a involuntary respond
reaction

Examples: perform a
Fundamental
Movements — simple task
Basic movements Key Words: grasp an
such as walking,
object, throw a ball,
or grasping.
walk

Perceptual
Abilities — Examples: track a
Response to moving object,
stimuli such as recognize a pattern
visual, auditory,
kinesthetic, or Key Words: catch a
tactile ball, draw or write
discrimination.

Physical Abilities
(fitness) — Examples: gain
Stamina that must strength, run a
be developed for marathon
further
development such Key Words: agility,
as strength and endurance, strength
agility.

Skilled Examples: Using an

movements — advanced series of
Advanced learned integrated movements,
movements as one perform a role in a
 stage play or play in a
set of series in a
sports game.
would find in
sports or acting. Key Words: adapt,
constructs, creates,
modifies

Examples: Express
Nondiscursive
communication one's self by using
movements and
— Use effective
gestures
body language,
such as gestures
Key Words: arrange,
and facial compose,
expressions.
interpretation

Next Steps
Introduction

The Three Domains of Learning

Revised Taxonomy of the Cognitive

Domain

Original Cognitive Domain

Cognitive Process and Levels of

Knowledge Matrix
 SOLO Taxonomy

Affective Domain

Psychomotor Domain

Learning Strategies: Using Bloom's

Taxonomy

References
Bloom, B.S. (Ed.). Engelhart, M.D., Furst, E.J.,
Hill, W.H., Krathwohl, D.R. (1956). Taxonomy
of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The
Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Co
Inc.

Dave, R.H. (1970). Psychomotor levels in

Developing and Writing Behavioral Objectives,
pp.20-21. 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.

Simpson E.J. (1972). The Classification of

Educational Objectives in the Psychomotor
Domain. Washington, DC: Gryphon House.

Notes
Updated January 12, 2015. Created June 5, 1999.

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