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Research Article
Issue Date: July 1994
Published Online: July 01, 1994
Updated: April 30, 2020
The Ecology of Human Performance: A Framework for Considering the Effect of Context
Winnie Dunn; Catana Brown; Ann McGuigan
Author Affiliations
  • Winnie Dunn, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, is Professor and Chair, Occupational Therapy Education, 3033 Robinson, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, Kansas 66160-7602
  • Catana Brown, MA, OTR, is Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy Education, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
  • Ann McGuigan, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy Education, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
Article Information
Special Issue on CAN/AM 1994 – The Joint Annual Conference of AOTA and CAOT
Research Article   |   July 01, 1994
The Ecology of Human Performance: A Framework for Considering the Effect of Context
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, July 1994, Vol. 48, 595-607. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.48.7.595
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, July 1994, Vol. 48, 595-607. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.48.7.595
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Abstract

In theory and in practice, context (as an area of concern to occupational therapists) has not received the same attention as performance components and performance areas. The Ecology of Human performance serves as a framework for considering the effect of context. Context is described as a lens from which persons view their world. The interrelationship of person and context determines which tasks fall within the person’s performance range. The Ecology of Human Performance framework provides guidelines for encompassing context in occupational therapy theory, practice, and research.