Value and Meaning in Occupations (ValMO)

  • The Value and Meaning in Occupations (ValMO) aims to address the absence of theoretical structures to aspects of value and meaning in existing models of occupations. It adopts a person-task-environment triad, where occupation is viewed as the result of the transaction. It includes the role narrative in structuring an individual’s experiences embedded in daily occupation, which contributes to an ongoing personal story. Occupational value refers to the proximal experiences derived from occupation (e.g., sense of competence or enjoyment). It is essential to occupational meaning and life narrative. Occupational and life meaning are linked to three nested levels of occupation: macro, meso, and micro. The marco level is occupations that are considered as part of one’s life story, and they link with personal identity and generate a sense of life meaning. The meso level is single or groups of occupations, performed occasionally or regular basis to form a basis for routine or daily patterned action; this is where experiences or perceptions of occupational value take place. The micro level is single discrete actions that compose an occupation. With the linking aspects of occupational value and life meaning to each of the three levels; the levels can only be fully understood with reference to one another. For example, gripping a cup of drink may have little value without referencing to the value derived from the occupation of having breakfast and the capacity of that experienced occupation to be integrated in one’s life story. Occupational value comprises of three dimensions: concrete (tangible aspect of occupational performance, e.g., completing shopping task), symbolic (related to the social context), and self-reward value (immediate experience). The Occupational Value Assessment with Predefined Items (Oval-pd) is constructed to assess the concept of occupational value by directly assessing the three related dimensions of concrete, symbolic, and self-reward value.

Summarized by

  • Macey Cho

Type

  • Model (conceptual)

Population

  • Child
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Elderly

Disability

  • All

Domain of occupation

  • Unspecified

Application Note

  • This model asserts a complex structure linking value and life meaning to multiple levels of occupation (macro, meso, and micro).

Key Reference

  • Persson, D., Erlandsson, L. K., Eklund, M., & Iwarsson, S. (2001). Value dimensions, meaning, and complexity in human occupation-a tentative structure for analysis. Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy, 8(1), 7-18.

Year Published

  • 2001

Primary Developer

  • Dennis Persson

Primary Developer Email

  • dennis.persson@med.lu.se

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Model Type

Population

Disability

Domain of Occupation

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