The O*NET® Content Model

The Content Model is the conceptual foundation of O*NET. The Content Model provides a framework that identifies the most important types of information about work and integrates them into a theoretically and empirically sound system.

The Content Model was developed using research on job and organizational analysis. It embodies a view that reflects the character of occupations (via job-oriented descriptors) and people (via worker-oriented descriptors). The Content Model also allows occupational information to be applied across jobs, sectors, or industries (cross-occupational descriptors) and within occupations (occupational-specific descriptors). These descriptors are organized into six major domains, which enable the user to focus on areas of information that specify the key attributes and characteristics of workers and occupations.

Worker Characteristics — enduring characteristics that may influence both performance and the capacity to acquire knowledge and skills required for effective work performance. Worker characteristics comprise enduring qualities of individuals that may influence how they approach tasks and how they acquire work-relevant knowledges and skills. Traditionally, analyzing abilities has been the most common technique for comparing jobs in terms of these worker characteristics. However, recent research supports the inclusion of other types of worker characteristics. In particular, interests, values, and work styles have received support in the organizational literature. Interests and values reflect preferences for work environments and outcomes. Work style variables represent typical procedural differences in the way work is performed.

(Outline View | Description View)

Abilities — Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance

• Cognitive Abilities
  • Verbal Abilities
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Written Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Written Expression
  • Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities
    • Fluency of Ideas
    • Originality
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Information Ordering
    • Category Flexibility
  • Quantitative Abilities
    • Mathematical Reasoning
    • Number Facility
  • Memory
    • Memorization
  • Perceptual Abilities
    • Speed of Closure
    • Flexibility of Closure
    • Perceptual Speed
  • Spatial Abilities
    • Spatial Orientation
    • Visualization
  • Attentiveness
    • Selective Attention
    • Time Sharing
• Psychomotor Abilities
  • Fine Manipulative Abilities
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Finger Dexterity
  • Control Movement Abilities
    • Control Precision
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Response Orientation
    • Rate Control
  • Reaction Time and Speed Abilities
    • Reaction Time
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
    • Speed of Limb Movement
• Physical Abilities
  • Physical Strength Abilities
    • Static Strength
    • Explosive Strength
    • Dynamic Strength
    • Trunk Strength
  • Endurance
    • Stamina
  • Flexibility, Balance, and Coordination
    • Extent Flexibility
    • Dynamic Flexibility
    • Gross Body Coordination
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
• Sensory Abilities
  • Visual Abilities
    • Near Vision
    • Far Vision
    • Visual Color Discrimination
    • Night Vision
    • Peripheral Vision
    • Depth Perception
    • Glare Sensitivity
  • Auditory and Speech Abilities
    • Hearing Sensitivity
    • Auditory Attention
    • Sound Localization
    • Speech Recognition
    • Speech Clarity

Primary occupational information source for Content Model items:

U.S. Department of Labor O*NET Data Collection Program

Supplemental sources of information:

	U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics		U.S. Department of Labor America's Career InfoNet
	U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship		U.S. Department of Education Classification of Instructional Programs

Other indicators:

Data not currently available