01
The four dimensions classify where the expertise lives.
Declarative knowledge is what the expert knows. Procedural knowledge is how they do it. Conditional knowledge is when and why they choose. Metacognitive knowledge is how they think about the situation in the first place.
Declarative
Facts, frameworks, concepts, and reference knowledge.
Procedural
Steps, sequences, skills, and automated behaviors.
Conditional
Context-specific judgment about when and why to choose a move.
Metacognitive
Beliefs, frames, standards, and problem-definition habits.
02
The hierarchy matters.
Metacognitive beliefs shape which conditions the expert notices. Conditional judgment selects procedures. Procedures apply declarative knowledge. A strong Cognitive Fingerprint™ shows how those levels interact.