List and Codes
Click below for a concise list of the knowledge construction functions and a brief descriptive phrase. Use the Advisor index buttons, or click here, for more information about the general concept of knowledge construction functions, and for short and extended function descriptions.

The knowledge construction functions are divided into Intellective, Non-Intellective and Performance functions. The intellective functions are divided into Reception, Transformation and Communication functions. There are 10 Reception or R-functions, 25 Transformation or T-functions and 10 Communication or C-functions. The Non-Intellective functions are divided into Motives and Needs (N-functions) and Personality Attributes (A-functions). There are 10 N-functions and 10 A-functions. There are 10 Performance or P-functions in the model. In sum there are 45 Intellective, 20 Non-Intellective and 10 Performance functions for a total of 75 knowledge construction functions.

Select an area:

Intellective Factors

Cognitive Functions - Reception Phase

R-1: Closure
- (negative) rejects tasks out of hand
- (positive) accepts tasks

R-2: Attention
- (negative) is easily distracted
- (positive) pays attention

R-3: Spatial Orientation
- (negative) has poor concept of space
- (positive) has good concept of space

R-4: Temporal Orientation
- (negative) has poor concept of time
- (positive) has good concept of time

R-5: Traces, Signs and Symbols
- (negative) has problems understanding symbols and signs
- (positive) understands symbols and signs

R-6: Verbal Tool and Concepts
- (negative) has poor receptive vocabulary
- (positive) has good receptive vocabulary

R-7: Exploratory behavior
- (negative) has unsystematic exploratory approach
- (positive) has systematic exploratory approach

R-8: Conservation of Identity
- (negative) has difficulty with the conservation of constancy
- (positive) conserves constancies

R-9: Effort
- (negative) invests effort incorrectly when collecting information
- (positive) invests effort appropriately when collecting information

R-10: Multiple sources
- (negative) has problems combining two or more aspects of information
- (positive) combines two or more aspects of information

Cognitive Functions - Transformation Phase

T-1: Stream of consciousness
- (negative) tunes out and daydreams
- (positive) doesn't drift

T-2: Disequilibrium
- (negative) doesn't experience the existence of problems
- (positive) senses the existence of problems

T-3: Pre-analysis
- (negative) has trouble selecting an approach to problems, misses cues
- (positive) selects an approach to problems; picks up on cues

T-4: Investment in Reception
- (negative) has trouble using thinking to guide behavior
- (positive) uses thinking to guide behavior

T-5: Narrowness of Cognitive Field
- (negative) looses thoughts 'in the middle'
- (positive) holds on to thoughts

T-6: Interiorization
- (negative) relies excessively upon concrete sensorial experience
- (positive) internalizes information from sensory experiences

T-7: Mental representation
- (negative) has difficulty forming ideas
- (positive) forms ideas

T-8: Evoking from Memory
- (negative) doesn't remember
- (positive) remembers

T-9: Comparing
- (negative) doesn't notice differences and similarities
- (positive) notices differences and similarities

T-10: Ordering and Grouping
- (negative) has trouble grouping objects or events
- (positive) groups objects or events

T-11: Hypothetical Thinking
- (negative) has difficulty with 'if-then' thinking
- (positive) uses 'if-then' thinking

T-12: Mental Transformations
- (negative) has difficulty manipulating ideas
- (positive) can manipulate ideas

T-13: Abstractions
- (negative) has difficulty using abstract as opposed to concrete thinking
- (positive) uses abstract as opposed to concrete thinking

T-14: Establishing Relationships
- (negative) does not seek connections between experiences
- (positive) seeks connections between experiences

T-15: Lattice-type Thinking
- (negative) does not create relationships between relationships
- (positive) creates relationships between relationships

T-16: Strategies for Inferential Thinking
- (negative) does not think logically
- (positive) thinks logically

T-17: Need for Logical Evidence
- (negative) has low need to provide logical support
- (positive) strives to provide logical support

T-18: Lexic Operations
- (negative) has problems with reading
- (positive) reads well

T-19: Mathematical Operations
- (negative) has problems with math
- (positive) is good at math

T-20: Decision Making
- (negative) is not guided by concepts when making decisions
- (positive) is guided by concepts when making decisions

T-21: Assessing Implications
- (negative) doesn't weigh the consequences of decisions
- (positive) weighs the consequences of decisions

T-22: Goal Seeking and Goal Setting
- (negative) does not set goals
- (positive) sets goals

T-23: Planning
- (negative) does not plan well
- (positive) plans well

T-24: Goal Achievement
- (negative) does not follow through on plans
- (positive) follows through on plans

T-25: Cause-Effect Relationships
- (negative) does not learn from experience
- (positive) learns from experience

Cognitive Functions - Communication Phase

C-1: Synthesis
- (negative) does not support speech with appropriate emotion and gestures
- (positive) supports speech with appropriate emotion and gestures

C-2: Trial and Error
- (negative) guesses a lot
- (positive) avoids guessing

C-3: Projection of Virtual Relationships
- (negative) ignores thoughts
- (positive) uses own thoughts

C-4: Blocking
- (negative) goes blank, blocks
- (positive) doesn't loose the thread

C-5: Egocentric Communication
- (negative) doesn't bring others along
- (positive) communicates well, brings others along

C-6: Verbal Tools
- (negative) has poor expressive vocabulary
- (positive) has good expressive vocabulary

C-7: Effort
- (negative) invests efforts poorly when attempting to communicate
- (positive) invests efforts appropriately when attempting to communicate

C-8: Attention to Outcomes
- (negative) overlooks effects of own behavior
- (positive) pays attention to effects of own behavior

C-9: Self-Regulation
- (negative) does not change behavior following mistakes
- (positive) changes behavior following mistakes

C-10: Autonomy
- (negative) does not use self-direction for autonomous functioning
- (positive) uses self-direction for autonomous functioning

Non-Intellective Factors

Cognitive Functions - Motives and Needs

N-1: Need for Feelings of Competence
- (negative) doesn't mind low levels of performance
- (positive) is bothered by low levels of performance

N-2: Need for Achievement
- (negative) doesn't strive to apply knowledge and skill
- (positive) strives to apply knowledge and skill

N-3: Need for Mastery
- (negative) doesn't care to strengthen knowledge and skill
- (positive) takes care to strengthen knowledge and skill

N-4: Need for Complexity
- (negative) shuns complex tasks
- (positive) seeks complex tasks

N-5: Need for Abstractness
- (negative) shuns abstract tasks
- (positive) seeks abstract tasks

N-6: Need for Self Esteem
- (negative) has low regard for oneself
- (positive) has good regard for oneself

N-7: Need for Challenge
- (negative) prefers repetition over variation
- (positive) prefers variation over repetition

N-8: Need for Novelty
- (negative) prefers familiarity over novelty
- (positive) prefers novelty over familiarity

N-9: Need for Aspirations
- (negative) doesn't envision goals for self-development
- (positive) envisions goals for self-development

N-10: Need for Growth and Change
- (negative) doesn't experience need to grow
- (positive) seeks to grow

Cognitive Functions - Personality Attributes

A-1: Desire for Approval
- (negative) displays little desire for approval
- (positive) displays desire for approval

A-2: Defensiveness
- (negative) wards off unpleasant feelings
- (positive) accepts unpleasant feelings

A-3: Ability to Rely on Own Thoughts and Feelings
- (negative) looks to others to determine behavior
- (positive) looks to self to determine behavior

A-4: Explanatory Style
- (negative) doesn't focus on the whole picture
- (positive) focuses on the whole picture

A-5: Curiosity
- (negative) doesn't care to find out how or why things happen
- (positive) cares to find out how or why things happen

A-6: Sense of humor
- (negative) doesn't respond with lightness to funny or amusing objects or events
- (positive) responds with lightness to funny or amusing objects or events

A-7: Frustration Tolerance
- (negative) easily feels thwarted
- (positive) doesn't easily feel thwarted

A-8: Self-confidence
- (negative) lacks trust in self
- (positive) trust in self

A-9: Optimism
- (negative) maintains a pessimistic, negative or downbeat disposition
- (positive) maintains an optimistic, positive or upbeat disposition

A-10: Self-efficacy
- (negative) doesn't rely on self as resource for problem solving
- (positive) relies on self as resource for problem solving

Performance Factors

Cognitive Functions - Performance

P-1: Rapidity and Precision
- (negative) is slow and inaccurate
- (positive) is rapid and precise

P-2: Attention and Persistence
- (negative) tunes out and gives up easily
- (positive) tunes in and doesn't give up

P-3: Automatization
- (negative) applies knowledge and skills with difficulty
- (positive) applies knowledge and skills with difficulty

P-4: Habit Formation
- (negative) doesn't establish effective methods and routines
- (positive) establishes effective methods and routines

P-5: Perception of Need for Effort
- (negative) seems to labor and toil
- (positive) works effortlessly

P-6: Responsibility for Quality of Own Work
- (negative) doesn't accept responsibility for outcomes
- (positive) accepts responsibility for outcomes

P-7: Awareness of Own Improvements
- (negative) doesn't credit earned improvements to self
- (positive) credits earned improvements to self

P-8: Enthusiasm
- (negative) shows no devotion to learning
- (positive) shows devotion to learning

P-9: Insight
- (negative) isn't thoughtful
- (positive) is thoughtful

P-10: Independence
- (negative) is dependent or lacking in self-direction
- (positive) maintains self-direction