Occupational Adaptation Frame of Reference

The occupational adaptation frame of reference (FOR) focuses on the adaptation process when a person encounters occupational challenges. Three basic elements of this FOR are the person (including sensorimotor, cognitive, psychosocial system), the occupational environment (including work, play and leisure, and self-maintenance) and the interaction between these two elements. Each of the elements is consistently influenced by a constant, respectively. These constants are desired for mastery in occupational situations (person), demanded for mastery from the person in these occupational situations (environment), and these two constants interact and result in the constant for the interaction element, a press for mastery. The flow of occupational adaptation process begins with occupational challenges. It is then influenced by a person’s perception of the internal and external expectations for occupational performance. The person generates an occupational response correspond to the occupational challenge, evaluates the outcome, and then integrates feedback from the response for subsequent use. At the same time, evaluation and feedback integration are also functioning in the occupational environment element. The process is repeated as another occupational challenge emerges. Within the FOR, it also consists of the subprocesses. The adaptive response generation subprocess is the generation of response from occupational challenge and perceived role expectations. This subprocess is characterized by two components, an adaptive response mechanism that selects energy levels and methods, as well as the other component, an adaptation gestalt that configures the output of the mechanism into a plan for person involvement and later becomes an occupational response. Other subprocesses include the adaptive response evaluation subprocess to evaluate the response, and the adaptive response integration subprocess that provides feedback to the person in generating adaptive response and finally generates an occupational response for occupational adaptation.