ABSTRACT
Krathwohl’s taxonomy is the quintessential example of the broad and unfocused nature of the aff ective domain.
Defi nition
As one of the three domains of learning defi ned by Bloom (the third being the psychomotor domain), aff ect’s place in instruction has long been largely misunderstood. Th e problems of understanding the role of the aff ective domain in instruction begin with its very defi nition. Martin and Briggs (1986) off er this explanation:
Th e defi nition of the domain and the concepts that comprise it are so broad and oft en unfocused that all aspects of behavior not clearly cognitive or psychomotor are lumped together in a category called the aff ective domain. For example, all of the following terms can be found associated with aff ect: self-concept, motivation, interests, attitudes, beliefs, values, self-esteem, morality, ego development, feelings, need achievement, locus of control, curiosity, creativity, independence, mental health, personal growth, group dynamics, mental imagery, and personality…the catch-all phrase has become “the aff ective domain.” (p. 12)
Boundaries of the Chapter
It is interesting that one of the few topical terms that Martin and Briggs’s defi nition excludes is that of emotion. As a basic element of most of the other characteristics in the list, emotion is primordial and fundamental. In the 50 or more years since Krathwohl, Bloom, and Masia constructed a taxonomy for the aff ective domain, the topic of emotion and how it relates to learning has been the focus of much study. Many researchers have struggled with the general questions of what emotions are and why we have them (Calhoun & Solomon, 1984; Damasio, 1994; 2000; LeDoux, 1996; Plutchik, 1994), while others have concentrated on the role of emotion in intelligence and in learning (Elias et al., 1997; Greenspan & Benderly, 1997; Martin & Briggs, 1986; Salovey & Sluyter, 1997). Th ere is growing acknowledgement that emotion plays a critical role in the learning process (Elias et al., 1997; Kovalik & Olsen, 1998; Vail, 1994).
