An Argument for a Dynamic Interrelated View of Occupational Experience

Abstract

This paper provides an argument for a more dynamic, interrelated understanding of occupational experience through the simultaneous examination of Pierce's three dimensions: pleasure, productivity and restoration. Limited attention has been given to Pierce's notion in part due to a lack of continued exploration of the interrelation of the three dimensions. However a body of new evidence strongly supports the theoretical assumptions of the importance of examining the relationship among pleasure, productivity and restoration to help understand occupational experience. This paper reviews several current theoretical ideas of occupational experience and subsequently argues for the advantage of using a dynamic interrelated view of occupational experience that allows for a deeper understanding of its complexity and idiosyncratic nature within and across people. The implications and limitations of this view of occupational experience, along with future directions for exploration, are presented for occupational science.

Keywords:

• Everyday occupations
• Subjective experience
• Pleasure
• Productivity
• Restoration

Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by funding from 1) a dissertation research grant awarded by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation and 2) the Occupational Therapy Department at Colorado State University. The author would like to thank Anne Fisher, ScD, OT, Barbara Hooper, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, and Wendy Wood, PhD, OTR, FAOTA for their valuable comments on this manuscript.