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STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 3

Authentic Assessment of the Affective Domain

MODULE OVERVIEW

In 1965, the affective domain has been part of a system for identifying, understanding and addressing how
people learn. In Bloom’s taxonomy, three domains were identified: cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. On this
learning module, you will learn about the second of these domains which is the affective domain.

The affective domain describes learning objectives that emphasize a feeling, tone, an emotion, or a degree of
acceptance or rejection. It is, admittedly, a far more difficult domain to objectively analyze and assess since affective
objectives vary from simple intention to selected phenomena to complex but internally consistent qualities of character
and conscience. Nevertheless, much of the educative process needs to deal with assessment and measurement of
students’ abilities in this domain. For instance, it is often heard that certain people are “schooled” but not “educated”. This
cliché simply refers to the fact that much of the processes in education today are aimed at developing the cognitive
aspects of development and very little or no time is spent on the development of the affective domain.

On this learning module, you will learn the focal concepts or the affective targets, and the appropriate methods in
assessing and evaluating students in the affective domain.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. define the different focal concepts in the affective domain;

2. select appropriately developed, high quality affective assessment tools;
3. use target- and learner-appropriate affective assessment methods and tools, and
4. interpret performance assessment data/ results for monitoring and evaluating learner achievement to improve
learner performance and inform instruction.

AFFECTIVE TARGETS

In the affective domain, and in particular, when we consider learning competencies, we also consider the
following focal concepts:

Attitudes. Attitudes are defined as a mental predisposition to act that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with
some degree of favor or disfavor. Individuals generally have attitudes toward objects, people, or institution.
Values. Attitudes are also attached to mental categories. Mental orientations towards concepts are generally referred to
as values.

Why study attitudes? Obviously, attitudes can influence the way we act and think in the social communities we
belong. They can function as frameworks for references for forming conclusions and interpreting or acting for against an
individual, a concept, or an idea. For instance, think about your attitudes toward “drinking alcoholic beverages” or
“gambling”. Or, perhaps, think about your attitude towards “mathematics and mathematical equations”. Do these attitudes
shape the way you think and corresponding act? What is your response? How is your response informed by each of these
attitudes?

Several studies in the past, for instance, concluded that poor performance in school mathematics cannot be
strictly attributable to differential mental abilities but to the students’ attitudes toward the subject. When mathematics are
recited, students with negative attitude towards mathematics tend to pay less attention and occupy their minds with
something else. Thus, attitude mat influence behavior. People will behave in ways consistent with their attitudes.

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Interest. The term interest can describe two distinct (though often co – occurring) experiences: an individual’s momentary
experience of being captivated by an object as well as more lasting feelings that the object is enjoyable and worth further
exploration. Interest is, therefore, both a psychological state characterized by increased attention, effort, and affect,
experienced in a particular moment (situational interest), as well as an enduring predisposition to reengage with a
particular object or topic over time (individual interest; Hidi & Renninger, 2006).
This duality not only highlights the richness of the interest concept but also contributes to the complexity of defining
interest precisely. Situational interest combines affective qualities, such as feelings enjoyment and excitement, with
cognitive qualities, such as focused attention and perceived value, all fostered by features of the situation (Hidi &
Renninger, 2006). For example, a student might enjoy an entertaining lecture about tsunamis, become fascinated by their
power, engage more in the class, and appreciate the subject’s personal relevance. Thus, being in a state of interest
means that affective reactions, perceived value, and cognitive functioning intertwine, and that attention and learning feel
effortless (Ainley, 2006; Dewey, 1913; Hidi, 2006). Situational interest relates to self-regulation, task engagement, and
persistence (Sansone & Thoman, 2005; Smith, Wagaman, & Handley, 2009; Thoman, Smith, & Silvia, 2011).
Experiencing situational interest can directly promote learning by increasing attention and engagement. A student who
sees a painting by Monet for the first time in an art history class may be captivated by the bright colors and unusual
brushstrokes, and as a result, will pay more attention and engage more deeply. If that interest develops into an individual
interest, the student will more likely reengage with the material overtime and explore the topic further (Harackiewicz,
Durik, Barron, Linnenbrink-Garcia, & Tauer, 2008). Interest, therefore, predicts traditional measures of educational
success, including future course taking and performance.
Individual interest highlights individuals’ stable preferences for specific content. Here, the immediate experience of interest
reflects a well-developed personal preference to enjoy and value a particular subject or activity across situations.
Individual interest is, therefore, a stable, underlying disposition activated in particular situations. For example, students
interested in geophysics might be especially likely to be in a state of interest during a lecture on tsunamis, whether the
lecture is entertaining or not, because their interest is more developed and less dependent on situational factors.

Motivation. Motivation is a reason or set of reasons for engaging in a particular behavior, especially human behavior as
studied in psychology and neuropsychology. The reason may include basic needs (e.g., food water, shelter) or an object,
goal, state of being, or ideal that is desirable, which may or may not be viewed as “positive”, such as seeking a state of
being in which pain is absent. The motivation for a behavior may also be attributed to less – apparent reasons such as
altruism or morality. There are many theories that explain human motivation. Here are some of these theories:
a. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs
b. Herzberg’s two factor theory or the “Motivator – Hygiene Theory”
c. Clayton Alderfer’s ERG (existence, relatedness, and growth theory)

Motivation in education can have several effects on how students learn and their behavior towards subject matter
(Ormrod, 2003). It can:
1. direct behavior toward particular goals;
2. lead to increased effort and energy;
3. increase intention of, and persistence in, activities;
4. enhance cognitive processing;
5. determine hat consequences are reinforcing, and
6. lead to improved performance.

Because students are not always internally motivated, they sometimes need situated motivation, which is found in
environmental conditions that the teacher creates. There are two kinds of motivation:

1. Intrinsic motivation which occurs when people are internally motivate to do something because it either brings
them pleasure, they think it is important, or they feel that what they are learning is morally significant.
2. Extrinsic motivation comes into play when a student is compelled to do something or act a certain way because
of factors external to him (e.g. money or good grades).

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Self – concept. The term self-concept is used in psychology as a means of identifying the thoughts and beliefs that a
person has about them and how they perceive themselves. It is a knowledge representation that contains knowledge
about us, including our beliefs about our personality traits, physical characteristics, abilities, values, goals, and roles, as
well as the knowledge that we exist as individuals. 

An understanding of self-concept can help clarify and solidify who you are as a person, what you like about yourself, what
you don’t like about yourself, and what you need to change. Self-concept encompasses what a person believes their
attributes are; who and what they are. It is like a mental picture of who you think you are as a person.

Why is self – concept important? A person’s self-concept helps them define who they think they are and how they fit into
the world. That in itself makes self-concept important because every individual wants to know themselves and feel as
though they belong. It applies to everyone, because everyone is going to have some kind of belief about who or what they
are.

Locus of control. A locus of control orientation is a belief about whether the outcomes of our actions are contingent on
what we do (internal control orientation) or on events outside our personal control (external control orientation), explained
psychologist Philip Zimbardo in his 1985 book Psychology and Life.
In 1954, psychologist Julian Rotter suggested that our behaviour was controlled by rewards and punishments and that it
was these consequences for our actions that determined our beliefs about the underlying causes of these actions.
It is important to note that locus of control is a continuum. No one has a 100 percent external or internal locus of control.
Instead, most people lie somewhere on the continuum between the two extremes.

What Role Does Your Locus of Control Play in Your Life?

Internal locus of control is often used synonymously with "self-determination" and "personal agency." Research has
suggested that men tend to have a higher internal locus of control than women and that locus of control tends to become
more internal as people grow older.
Experts have found that, in general, people with an internal locus of control tend to be better off. However, it is also
important to remember that internally does not always equal "good" and external does not always equal "bad." 
In some situations, having an external locus of control can be a good thing— particularly when a person's level of
competence in a particular area is not strong.
For example, a person who is terrible at sports might feel depressed or anxious about their performance if they have a
strong internal locus of control.
If this person thinks, "I'm bad at sports and I don't try hard enough," they might feel stressed in situations where they need
to participate in athletics, such as during a physical education class.
However, if this person takes an external focus during such activities ("The game is too hard!" or "The sun was in my
eyes!"), they will probably feel more relaxed and less stressed.

Self – efficacy. Self – efficacy is an impression that one is capable of performing in a certain manner in attaining certain
goals. It is a belief that one has the capabilities to execute the courses of actions required to manage prospective
situations. Unlike efficacy, which is the power to produce an effect (in essence, competence), self – efficacy is the belief
(whether or not accurate) that one has the power to produce that effect.

It is important here to understand the distinction between self – esteem and self – efficacy. Self – esteem refers to a
person’s sense of worth, whereas self – efficacy refers to a person’s perception of their ability to reach a goal. Research
on learning has indicated that in certain circumstances, having less self – efficacy for a subject may be helpful, while more

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negative attitudes towards how quickly/well one will learn, can actually prove of benefit. One study uses the foreign
language classroom to examine students’ beliefs about learning, perceptions of goal attainment, and motivation to
continue language study. Survey and interview results indicated students’ attributions for success and failure and their
expectations for certain subjects’ learning ability played a role in the relationship between goal attainment and volition. It
appears that over – efficaciousness negatively affected student motivation. For other students who felt they were “bad at
languages”, their negative beliefs increased their motivation to study.

Anxiety. Anxiety is defined as “a painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill”
(Merriam – Webster, 2012). Students experiencing academic anxiety feel apprehensive over academic tasks. Students
can feel anxiety related to every academic task. Some may only feel anxiety related to test taking ot other specific tasks.
Anxiety is not always negative. Some students can be motivated by anxiety. Stress is how a person mentally and
physically reacts to circumstances that are considered difficult or challenging (Beckner, 2004).

Creativity. Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be
useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. Test of creativity measure
not only the number of alternatives that people can generate but the uniqueness of those alternatives. The ability to
generate alternatives or to see things uniquely does not occur by change; it is linked to other, more fundamental qualities
of thinking, such as flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity or unpredictability, and the enjoyment of things heretofore unknown.
For Robert Wiesberg in his work Creativity – Beyond Myth of Genius , “creative” refers to novel products of value, as in
“the airplane was a creative invention:. “Creativity” also refers to the person who produces the work, as in “Picasso was
creative”. Creativity then refers both the capacity to produce such works and to the activity of generating products. All who
study creativity agree that for something to be creative, it is not enough for it to be novel; it must have value, or be
appropriate to the cognitive demands of the situation.

Significant Benefit of Creativity in the Classroom.

1. Creativity is multidisciplinary
2. Creativity allows for self – expression
3. Creativity promotes thinking and problem – solving
4. Creativity reduces stress and anxiety
5. Creativity allows one to enter his “happy zone” and have fun
6. Creativity gives a sense of purpose
7. Creativity leas to feelings of accomplishment and pride
8. Creativity can link others with the same passion
9. Creativity improves your ability to focus
10. Creativity promotes risk – taking and iteration
11. Creativity is a prerequisite for innovation
12. Creativity encourages life – long learning

Epistemological Beliefs. Epistemological beliefs are individuals’ fundamental assumptions about knowledge, its nature,
and appropriate ways to create it (Hofer and Pintrich 2002; Schommer 1994). Thus, individuals’ epistemological beliefs
influence their ways of dealing with and solving problems, especially if new approaches and heuristics are required. In this
way an understanding of these beliefs is relevant for understanding paid work, because modern working life – as well as
society more broadly – is subject to constant change. Hence, employees face demands to constantly develop their
individual competence throughout their working lives (Harteis and Gruber 2004).

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1: MY AFFECTIVE AUTOBIOGRAPHY

After learning the cognitive focal concepts/targets, your task is to come with your own autobiography describing
how your learning is affected by these concepts. Your autobiography must contain all the key words/concepts discussed
in the lesson. Also, provide examples or situations on how these concepts affect your learning.

APPROPRIATE METHODS

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Assessment tools in the affective domain, in particular, those which are used to assess attitudes, interests,
motivations, and self – efficacy, have been developed. There are certain good practices in developing these
instruments. We consider a few of the standard assessment tools in the affective domain.

Self – Report. Self – report is the most common measurement tool in the affective domain. It essentially requires
an individual to provide an account of his attitude or feeling toward a concept or idea or people. Self – report are
also sometimes called “written reflection”. In using this measurement tool, the teacher requires the students to
write his thoughts on a subject matter, like, “Why I like or Dislike Physics”.

Rating Scale. A rating scale is a set of categories designed to elicit information about a quantitative attribute in
social science. Common examples are the Likert scale 1 – 10 rating scales for which a person selects the
number which is considered to reflect the perceived quality of a product. The basic feature of any rating scale is
that it consists of a number of categories. These are usually assigned integers.

Semantic Differential Scales. The Semantic Differential (SD) tries to assess an individual’s
reaction to specific words, ideas, or concepts in terms of ratings on bipolar scales defined with
contrasting adjectives at each end.

Good __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Bad
3 2 1 0 1 2 3

Usually, the position marked 0 is labeled “neutral”, the 1 positions are labeled “slightly”, the 2
positions “quite”, and the 3 positions extremely. From the illustration above, for instance, a “3”
close to good would mean an “extremely good” reaction while a “3” close to bad would mean
“extremely bad” reaction. The scale actually measures two things: directionality of a reaction (e.g.
good vs. bad) and intensity (slight to extreme). Ratings are combined in various ways to describe and
analyze person’s feeling.

A number of basic considerations are involved in SD methodology:

1) Bipolar adjective scales are simple, economical means for obtaining data on people’s reactions.
With adaptations, such scale can be used by any individuals from all walks of life.
2) Ratings on bipolar adjective scales tend to be correlated and three basic dimensions of response
account for most of the co – variation ratings. The three dimensions, which have been labeled
Evaluation, potency, and Activity (EPA), have been verified and replicated in an impressive variety of
studies.
3) Some adjective scales are almost pure measures of the EPA dimensions; for example, good – bad
for Evaluation, powerful – powerless for Potency, and fast – slow for Activity.
4) EPA measurements are appropriate when one is interested in affective responses. The EPA
system is notable for being a multi – variate approach to affective measurements.
5) The SD has been used as measure of attitude in a wide variety of projects.

Thurstone Scales. Thurstone is considered the father of attitude measurement. He addresses the
issue on how favorable an individual is with regard to a given issue. He developed an attitude
continuum to determine the position of favorability on the issue.

Below is an example of a Thurstone scale of measurement (from Thurstone, 1931)

Directions: Put a check mark in the blank if you agree with the statement:

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_______1. Blacks should be considered the lowest class of human beings (scale value = 0.9)
_______2. Blacks and white must be kept apart in all social affairs where they might be taken as
equals. (scale value = 3.2)
_______3. I am not interested in how blacks rate socially. (scale value = 5.4)
_______4. A refusal to accept blacks are not based is not based on any fact of nature, but on a
prejudice which should be overcome. (scale value = 7.9)
_______5. I believe that blacks deserve the same social privileges as whites. (scale value =
10.3)

Likert Scale. In 1932, Likert developed the method of summated ratings, called the Likert’s
scale, which is still widely used. The Likert scale required that individuals tick on a box to report
whether they “strongly agree”, “agree”, are “undecided”, “disagree”, or “strongly disagree”, in
response to a large number of items concerning an attitude object or stimulus. Likert scales are
derived as follows: First, you pick individual items to include. You choose individual items that you
know correlate highly with the total score across items. Second, you choose how to scale each item.
For example, you construct labels for each scale value to represent the interpretation to be assigned to
the number (e.g., 1 = disagree strongly, 2 = disagree slightly, etc). Third, you ask your target
audience to mark each item. Fourth, you derive a target’s score by adding the values that target
identified for each item.

Below is an example of a Likert scale:

Statement: I do not like to perform balancing equations.

Response options:
*1. Strongly disagree
*2. Disagree
*3. Neither agree nor disagree
*4. Agree
*5. Strongly agree

Guttman Scaling. In 1944, Guttman suggested that attitude should be measured by multidimensional
scales, as opposed to the unidimensional scales such as those developed by Thurstone and Likert.
Guttman pointed out there should be a multidimensional view of the attitude construct. He developed
the Scalogram Analysis, Cumulative Analysis, or as usually called, Guttman Scaling. The major
charateristics of this scale is that the response to one item helps predict the responses to the other
items. For instance, if the individual negatively responds to the item, “I like oranges”, he is not likely to
respond positively to the item “Oranges are great for breakfast”.

Checklists. The most common and perhaps the easiest instrument to construct in the affective domain is the
checklist. A checklist consists of simple items that the students or marks as “absent” or “present”. Here are the
steps in the construction of a checklist:
1. Enumerate all the attributes and characteristics you wish to observe relative to the concept being
measured. For instance, if the concept is “interpersonal relation”, then you might want to identify those
indicators or attributes which constitute and evidence of good interpersonal relation.
2. Arrange these attributes as a “shopping” list of characteristics.
3. Ask the students to mark those attributes or characteristics which are present and to leave blank those
which are not.

OTHER AFFECTIVE MEASURES AND ASSESSMENTS

Non – test indicators. Non – test instruments are instruments other than the learning achievement tests. Assessment tools

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that can be used in compiling these non – test instruments include observation or observation sheets (such as diaries,
portfolios, life skills) and attitude, interest and other test instruments.

Transversal Competencies. Transversal competencies are competencies transferable between jobs. They are the ones
that people used to call experience, some people have called them “soft skills” or “emotional intelligence”. The following
are just some of the transversal competencies: critical and innovative thinking, creativity, entrepreneurship,
resourcefulness, application skills, reflective thinking, presentation skills, reasoned decision – making, communication,
leadership, organizational skills, interpersonal skills, teamwork, collaboration, initiative, sociability, collegiality, self –
discipline, enthusiasm, perseverance, self – motivation, etc.

Transversal competencies have the following characteristics:

• they are transferable across domains, geographies, work and life contexts;
• they typically relate to social and interpersonal relations;
• they are cross-functional and cross-curricular in training and education, but can be combined in a blended learning
approach, e.g. collaborative problem-based learning;
• communication is the key element in manifesting and evidencing transversal skills; if not communicated explicitly, they
can remain undervalued or unrecognized;
• they are essential tools in any context of significant and accelerated change;
• they can be observed, evidenced and developed, whereas developing values such as integrity in adults and changing
ingrained character traits is extremely difficult;
• they are learnt through experience and development and cannot be easily taught, except through highly interactive
learning processes, and
• in their development, they have a symbiotic relationship with improved self-awareness and self-knowledge.

21st Century Skills. The term 21st century skills refers to a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits
that are believed – by educators, school reformers, and others – to be critically important to success in today’s world,
particularly in collegiate programs and contemporary careers and workplaces. Some of the 21 st century skills include
critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and technology use.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2:

Select and develop an affective assessment tool appropriate to measure each item below.

1. Students’ opinion on the current administration’s “War on Drugs” campaign

2. Students’ perspective in studying Algebra
3. Students’ acceptance of the foreign culture invasion (e.g. K – pop or Korean pop) in the country.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions:

1. Why is the affective domain relevant in the acquisition of knowledge of the students?
2. What are the ways to assess and measure students’ affective faculty?
3. How could you incorporate the affective domain on your lessons?

SUMMARY

Here are some pointers to remember:

1. Included in the Bloom’s taxonomy in 1965, the affective domain is part of a system that was for identifying,
understanding and addressing how people learn.
2. The following are the affective targets or focal concepts:
 Attitudes

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 Values
 Interests
 Motivation
 Self – concept
 Locus of control
 Self – efficacy
 Anxiety
 Creativity
 Epistemological beliefs
3. The following are some of the assessment tools developed and used in assessing students’ affective domain:
 Self – report
 Rating scale
 Checklists
4. Some other affective measures and assessments:
 Non – test indicators
 Transversal competencies
 21st century skills

REFERENCES

 Navarro, R & De Guzman-Santos, R. (2013). Authentic Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes, Assessment
of Learning 2, 2nd Edition. Quezon City, Lorimar Publishing Inc.

 De Guzman-Santos, R. (2007). Advanced Methods in Educational Assessment and Evaluation, Assessment of

Learning 2. Quezon City, Lorimar Publishing Inc.

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5839644/?
fbclid=IwAR04m0eoA1HGjDNAYRI5j4D3XBSex0u3JJWonDVYSDEKmr246mnct15X84M#:~:text=Interest%20is
%20a%20powerful%20motivational,predisposition%20to%20reengage%20over%20time

 https://www.aconsciousrethink.com/8941/self-concept/?fbclid=IwAR033dW_33t2HK-O2FQxyk0pNBqzWi-
PdktB96yH0SnXonZ-7RYVHQjpCIY#:~:text=Self%2Dconcept%20heavily%20influences%20behavior,aware
%20of%20them%20or%20not

 https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/chapter/the-cognitive-self-the-self-concept/?
fbclid=IwAR3HNPeh4jCoSSI2h6E83ltjgfAWvNz_BE5irUTo3pA9sPH-_p9-5A0VriU

 https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-locus-of-control-2795434

 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/1-4020-5360-6_8

 https://www.neliti.com/publications/275210/application-of-learning-management-using-non-test-instrument-to-
improve-the-qual?fbclid=IwAR0crXwZXoA63ss84yYSdnKq4O2iBcYgVytkAZxAQIaWVPB59aUoAM_ksrk

 https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/sites/default/files/partner/asset/files/skilla-transversal-skills-future-
proof.pdf

 https://medium.com/@chrisheron/what-are-transversal-competencies-and-why-are-they-important-
72878778d80c

 https://www.edglossary.org/21st-century-skills/

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