What is the PEO Model?

The Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) Model is an occupational therapy model of practice, which was developed in Canada by Mary Law, Barbara Cooper, Susan Strong, Debra Stewart, Patricia Rigby and Lori Letts in 1996. The PEO Model emphasises that there are transactional relationships between the person, environment and occupation throughout lifetime that can affect occupational performance (Law et al.,1996). Essentially, every purposeful or meaningful activity or task that a person performs is (or part of) an occupation, therefore how well a person can perform an occupation in the environment is known as occupational performance (Law et al.,1996).

Figure 1a. A Person-Environment-Occupation Model of Occupational Performance.
Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L., The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy (Volume: 63 issue: 1) pp. 9-23. Copyright © 1996 by SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/000841749606300103
Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications, Inc. This material is the exclusive property of the SAGE Publications, Inc. and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. User may not modify, publish, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, reproduce, create derivative works (including course packs) from, distribute, perform, display, or in any way exploit any of the content of the file(s) in whole or in part. Permission may be sought for further use from SAGE Publications, Inc., attn. Rights Department, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, Email: permissions@sagepub,com. By accessing the file(s), the User acknowledges and agrees to these terms. http://www.sagepub.com

Figure 1b. Depiction of the Person-Environment-Occupation Model of Occupational Performance across the lifespan illustrating hypothetical changes in occupational performance at three different points in time.
Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L., The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy (Volume: 63 issue: 1) pp. 9-23. Copyright © 1996 by SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/000841749606300103
Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications, Inc. This material is the exclusive property of the SAGE Publications, Inc. and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. User may not modify, publish, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, reproduce, create derivative works (including course packs) from, distribute, perform, display, or in any way exploit any of the content of the file(s) in whole or in part. Permission may be sought for further use from SAGE Publications, Inc., attn. Rights Department, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, Email: permissions@sagepub,com. By accessing the file(s), the User acknowledges and agrees to these terms. http://www.sagepub.com

Main Concepts and Assumptions of the PEO Model

A person is a human being with qualities, attributes, abilities and skills who is able to take part in many roles (Law et al.,1996). A person is ever changing, developing and interacting with the environment while performing occupations (Law et al.,1996)

The environment is made up of the physical, social, cultural, institutional and socio-economic domains (Law et al.,1996). The environment is the context at which the person takes part in occupations (Law et al.,1996).

An occupation is a group an activities or a tasks that are meaningful and purposeful to the person and meets their needs (Law et al.,1996). Occupations are essential for living and are considered to meet the person's needs within their roles and enviroment (Law et al.,1996).

Temporal aspects of the PEO model emphasise that interactions between the person, environment and occupations will vary over a lifetime (Law et al.,1996).

The dynamic results of the transaction between the person, enviroment and occupation is known as occupational performance (Law et al.,1996). Occupational performance can be measured both objectively and subjectively (Law et al.,1996).

The person-environment-occupation fit is the idea that the person, enviroment and occupation interact regularly over time and space, where congruence can increase or decrease (Law et al.,1996). The better the fit or compatibility between the person, enviroment and occupation, then the greater the occupational performance (Law et al.,1996).

Figure 2. An Illustration of Changes to Occupational Performance as a Consequence of Variations in Person, Environment and Occupational Fit.
Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L., The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy (Volume: 63 issue: 1) pp. 9-23. Copyright © 1996 by SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/000841749606300103
Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications, Inc. This material is the exclusive property of the SAGE Publications, Inc. and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. User may not modify, publish, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, reproduce, create derivative works (including course packs) from, distribute, perform, display, or in any way exploit any of the content of the file(s) in whole or in part. Permission may be sought for further use from SAGE Publications, Inc., attn. Rights Department, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, Email: permissions@sagepub,com. By accessing the file(s), the User acknowledges and agrees to these terms. http://www.sagepub.com

Figure 3. Effect of Intervention to Change Environment on Occupational Performance.
Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L., The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy (Volume: 63 issue: 1) pp. 9-23. Copyright © 1996 by SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/000841749606300103
Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications, Inc. This material is the exclusive property of the SAGE Publications, Inc. and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. User may not modify, publish, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, reproduce, create derivative works (including course packs) from, distribute, perform, display, or in any way exploit any of the content of the file(s) in whole or in part. Permission may be sought for further use from SAGE Publications, Inc., attn. Rights Department, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, Email: permissions@sagepub,com. By accessing the file(s), the User acknowledges and agrees to these terms. http://www.sagepub.com

Application of the PEO Model

Figure 4. Occupational Therapy: The Person-Environment-Occupation Model of Occupational Performance
Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L., The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy (Volume: 63 issue: 1) pp. 9-23. Copyright © 1996 by SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/000841749606300103
Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications, Inc. This material is the exclusive property of the SAGE Publications, Inc. and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. User may not modify, publish, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, reproduce, create derivative works (including course packs) from, distribute, perform, display, or in any way exploit any of the content of the file(s) in whole or in part. Permission may be sought for further use from SAGE Publications, Inc., attn. Rights Department, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, Email: permissions@sagepub,com. By accessing the file(s), the User acknowledges and agrees to these terms. http://www.sagepub.com

PEO Model Quote:

Reference

Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L. (1996). The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(1), 9–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/000841749606300103